Giving it Away
by Homely
Summary: Sequel to We're So Far Away. Can the bringing of a new life reunite Kairi, Sora, Roxas, Naminé, Riku, and Xion? Full summery inside! Warning: Sexual themes and pregnancy. Character death.SoraxKairi, RoxasxNamine, XionxRiku. COMPLETE 12/27/2010
1. Kairi: I Left it All Behind

**Author's note: **Hello everyone! Yes, this is the **sequel **to **We're So Far Away. **You should read that first, or else you probably won't understand too much about this story.

**Review please!**

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**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together._

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**Summery**

Sixteen year old Kairi is pregnant with her best friend's child, Roxas hasn't talked to Naminé for five months, and Xion has a drinking problem. Not only that, but Naminé has resorted to extreme measures to help cure her depression. Riku just wants to help. So where does this leave Sora?  
Can the bringing of a new life reunite the group?

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The place I used to live made me feel like a tourist  
I couldn't co-exist with the cold and suspicious  
When the last remaining light was starting to filter,  
It seemed the perfect time to step into the future.

Your heart is a grave to be perfectly hones  
Your mouth's a smoking gun  
And you smile while you're twisting the knife in my stomach,  
_'Til everything is gone_  
Take all you can from me  
I've got weak constitution  
I'm led so easily, so easily.

I left it all behind  
in the dead of last winter  
I left it all behind  
but the question still lingers  
_So long forgotten friends._  
No you don't know the difference,  
Between love and submission  
and I'm not that obedient.

**July 14th**

_Sigh._

A very pregnant Kairi Jacob sat on the balcony, staring out over the industrial buildings of Radian Garden. She rested her chin on the palm of her hand, allowing yet another sigh to escape her lips. _Five months. _She reminded herself. Five months since she had left.

Yes, it was true. Today marked Kairi's five month anniversary since she left Destiny Islands. Since she left Roxas, Naminé, Xion, Sora, _and _her past behind. It was on a night like this. Dark and raining... It all seemed so much more frightening back then.

Kairi had confessed to Sora that she was going to have his child, but she knew she wouldn't be able to tell him everything. At least, not in person. So before she left, she shoved a simple note in his hand. And of course, on that simple note held her most intimate secret.

**_Goodbye, I love you._**

She prayed to god that Sora looked at note. She didn't stay to see his reaction, obviously. She ran away like the coward she knew she was. She didn't really regret doing that. She wasn't strong enough to actually face him so... She decided to space herself the embarrassment and just leave. That same night, she called her cousin Tifa, who booked her a flight to Radian Garden.

So, that lead Kairi to where she was today. A single, pregnant, teenage girl. _I'm pathetic. _She reminded herself, walking over to the couch she now called home. For the past five months Kairi had been staying with the very generous Tifa. Without her... She didn't know what would have became of her. All she knew was that she had royally fucked up.

Kairi was due to have her child in little under a week. She was so nervous it was hard too bare. She knew that it was going to hurt like hell... But there was no going back. Perhaps if Kairi was smart enough to at least used a condom nine months ago she wouldn't be in such a situation. Actually, she shouldn't have taken advantage of Sora at all.

Kairi rolled her eyes. She was annoyed with herself for always thinking about Sora. But she couldn't help it. She glanced over to the picture that was on the table beside the couch. It was framed, and on the photo was Kairi, Sora, Naminé, Roxas and Selphie, all doing goofy faces. She smiled at the memory. Things were so simple back then...

Her cell phone rang, startling her. She quickly grabbed it and flipped it open, only to find a text message that didn't surprise her.

_Kairi, where are you? Please reply. Just let me know you're okay._

It was Naminé, of course. Kairi simply shut the phone and carelessly chucked it. She never replied to her texts. Ever since Kairi left, she had been getting nonstop texts from Naminé and Roxas, the occasional from Xion. Not a single one from Sora, though. Which upset her. He had probably moved on by now... She assumed that he had another girlfriend and another life. Kairi was just a simple phase... Sora tended to go through those. She hoped that it wasn't true, but it most likely was.

She was very curious on how her old friends were doing. She wondered if Roxas and Naminé had ever worked things out. Knowing them, probably not. She also hoped that Xion was doing well. Her raven haired friend had once been dating Riku, an friend of Kairi's from childhood. Sadly, they didn't work out.

Not wanting to live in the past anymore, Kairi picked herself up off of the couch and decided to go out and get some fresh air. Yes, it was past eight o'clock, and yes, it was raining... But did she care? No. She wasn't supposed to move so much now that she was so pregnant, but again, she didn't really care. She hopped into Tifa's car and headed for the grocery store. She was having mad cravings for Nutella.

Tifa was out with her boyfriend that evening, and never really minded if Kairi's borrowed the car. As long as she was careful. Nowadays, Kairi was extra careful not to make mistakes.

As she drove, she thought about what was going to happen to her. She was going to be giving birth... Well, of course she wasn't _keeping _the child. She would put it up for adoption. She couldn't manage on her own with a baby. Hell, she was scarcely seventeen! It was a hard choice for her to make, but she had to do it. She just had to.

She parked the car and squeezed out of the vehicle. Kairi used to be way too skinny, back in the day. She wanted a body like Selphie's; Curvy. She looked down at her giant stomach.

Perhaps you really _should_ be careful what you wish for.

That thought aside; Nutella, right.

She walked through the rain, not really caring that it was messing up her hair. As she walked, she couldn't help but notice a very familiar looking car parked in the parking lot. She stopped to stare. _Is that Sora's...? _She wondered.

"No..." She muttered with a smile. "There's no way he'd be here."

Shrugging it off, she headed into the building.

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**Author's note: **Well, there you have it. Not all that much happened in this chapter, but it _is_ important. The lyrics used are from the song Lillian by Plus 44. Btw, I know I said there was going to be character death in this story, but that's not likely anymore. Possible, but not likely.

**REVIEW! Or else I might not update for a while :).**


	2. Sora: Now You're Gone

**Author's note: **Hey everyone, here's a quick update for you. :). Thanks for reviewing! Sorry I don't usually reply to them, my computer is painfully slow and I have little patience O.O.

**Review please!**

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**Giving it Away**

They found their reason to be together.

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Is this the way its meant to be?  
Only dreaming that you're missing me.  
I'm waiting here at home.  
I'll be crazy  
Now you're gone.

Now you're gone,  
I realized my love for you was strong  
And I miss you here now you're gone.  
I keep waiting here by the phone  
With your pictures hanging on the wall.

**July 13th**

Sitting there waiting was getting hard for Sora. He couldn't wait forever, could he?

Of course, if that was what it took for Kairi to come home, then he'd be more than willing. He loved her, and he missed her. It had been five months... Five, lonely months since she left everything behind. Sora couldn't figure it out... Why did she have to go?

He sighed. Casting one last glance over to the phone, he picked himself out and finally left his room. His parents insisted that he went and visited his Uncle Sid in Radiant Garden. Sora had rolled his eyes at the time, and told his mother that he just wanted to stay home. But now, he saw her point of view. He couldn't just sit around all summer.

He was leaving that day. His parents were too cheap to get him a plane ticket, so he had to drive all the way there. Which was very annoying, since it was on the other side of the country... He probably wouldn't get there until eight the next day.

"Whatever." He muttered. "Mom, I'm going!" He shouted.

"Have fun!" She yelled from upstairs.

"Yeah, okay." He hopped in the car, noting how sticky and hot it was out. He actually kind of missed the winter time. Kairi was actually around then.

Ever since she left, Sora had grown distant. He didn't make an effort to talk to his friends, and eventually just grew antisocial. Yes, thats right. Sora, antisocial. It was very hard for the kids at his school to believe, since he used to be one of the most popular guys there. But that was all in the past now. He'd grown to accept over the past five months that he would never be the same.

As much as he missed Kairi, he was also a little mad at her. She was pregnant with his child... And she just took off. She didn't tell anyone where she was going and never called or returned texts. It was a mystery if she was even alive, but Sora refused to believe that she was dead. She was probably long gone in some other town. He wondered what she was going to do with the baby. Perhaps his son or daughter was already born and he had no idea. That thought really scared him.

He couldn't believe that he was the father to someone's child...

It was all like a dream.

**J****uly 14th**

Sora had driving almost the entire night, but stopped off at some sleazy motel at around midnight. He continued in the morning, driving all day. And yes, just as he had predicted, he arrived around eight pm. Hungry, he decided to stop off at a local grocery store. Maybe he could get some chips or something.

He tucked his sunglasses into the pocket of his jacket. It was raining out, which annoyed him since his hair was now all messed up. He stopped for a moment once in shelter to fix it, before continuing into the grocery store.

The place was unfamiliar, so he didn't really know where to look. He passed cereal, soft drinks, Kairi...

Wait-- What?

He took a few steps back, and saw a very pregnant redhead observing a small container of Nutella. He could barely believe his eyes. Was it really her?

There was only one way to find out.

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Lmao sorry for the shortness xD.

**Review please! Much appreciated :).**


	3. Roxas: Surrender

**Author's note: HOLY SHIT. **That's right, your eyes don't deceive you. I have updated... Finally! I'm so sorry guys, there's been a lot of drama in my own life... :(. Ugh, I hate it. But I sure love writing about it (:.

About the person I was angry at for reviewing; I just want to let you all know that it WASN'T a flame! I can handle those. It was an ignorant person literally demanding an update, and being very VERY rude about it! Haha, it pissed me off a lot.

To that person, fuck off. I don't want you on here.

Alright, well thats enough. Please leave a review (it'll have to be anon if you reviewed the story when I had the note posted before), or you can PM me. (: !

**REVIEW! (L)**

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**Giving it Away**

They found their reason to be together.

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Killing time before she struts her stuff  
She needs support and I've become the crutch  
She'll never know how much she means to me  
I'd play the game but I'm the referee

**(Surrender)**  
Every word, every thought, every sound  
**(Surrender)**  
Every touch, every smile, every frown  
**(Surrender)  
**All the pain we've endured until now  
**(Surrender)**  
All the hope that I lost you have found  
**(Surrender)  
Yourself to me**

**July 14th  
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In a seemingly vacant room, nothing but the quiet _drip _of water was heard. On the walls were stains, old books on the shelves... and on the floor was Roxas, passed out. As the blond lay unconscious, a tiny mouse crawled over to him. The small animal let out a squeak, suddenly waking Roxas from his peaceful rest. Immediately, he sat up, looking more shocked than ever.

He looked around the room, eyes bulging out of his head. He looked down at the concrete floor and spotted the mouse. Both squealed, but Roxas was the one who ran. He stood to his feet and ran his hardest, pounding his way up an old staircase. He burst through the cellar doors, gasping at the sunlight that hit his face. Calming himself down, he shielded his eyes from the blinding light with his hands.

"Finally awake, I see." A voice sounded. Startled, Roxas twirled around to meet a pair of warm, familiar green eyes.

"Olette!" He gasped. He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and then straightened himself up. "Um, hey." He sheepishly greened. She smiled.

"How are you feeling?"

"...Confused. How did I get here?"

Olette giggled. "You don't remember anything?"

Roxas looked at her, dumbfounded.

"I'll take that as a yes." She grinned. "We got married, silly! This is our new home!"

".........WHAT!?"

--

_Gasp!_

Roxas' eyes flew open. Like in his dream, he automatically sat up, prettified. Once he had clicked back into reality, he sighed and chuckled at his nightmare. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then swung his lets off the bed.

"Just another dream." He laughed to himself, walking downstairs. As usual, no body was home. He enjoyed practically living alone; no one ever noticed when he was drunk, since no one could see. As he entered the kitchen, he checked the time on the stove.

3:00 am.

No surprises there; this was usually when he woke up from a nightmare. He frowned for a moment, before proceeding towards the fridge. He drank milk straight from the carton, before wandering back up to his room. He stopped and stared at the picture of him and Olette on his bedside table... and grimaced. He picked it up and carelessly tossed it under the bed. He didn't want to look at that.

He tried to get back to sleep but he couldn't get that dream out of his head. Married to Olette... He didn't even like dating her.

Wait -- they're dating?

Yes, sadly it was true.

After Roxas stopped speaking to Naminé, he got very very lonely. Somehow along the way, his parents convinced him to get back together with Olette. And somehow, he managed to convince everyone that he was no longer in love with Naminé.

Which was only the biggest lie of all.

He thought of her every night. So why did he keep on ignoring her calls?

Because he knew he'd just get hurt...

It was already made official; she didn't love him. He didn't need to be used, and he wasn't about to be. So, he ignored her. She called him every friday... For the past five months, since Kairi left. But not once did he answer... Back when school was in (he started going again), he ignored her too. When she'd try to talk to him he'd walk away; He wouldn't even look at her! So you can imagine how hard it was not having the thing you want most, especially when its being flaunted right in your face.

At the moment, Roxas was a bit fucked up. He was never happy unless he was drunk. Usually, every sunday him and Xion would hang out and get drunk... That's why he was always out of alcohol. Xion could certainly hold her drinks.

Also, Olette was obsessive. She never stopped calling him... He could hardly ever get some alone time. It was annoying, but he managed to deal.

As Roxas lay there thinking, he heard his cell phone go off. That was strange... No one ever called him this early. But, he decided to ignore it. It probably wasn't anybody important anyways.

--

The next morning, or more like a few hours later, Roxas woke up and decided to continue with his daily friday routine. Wake up, watch tv, and ignore Naminé's calls. Why did she call so much? He didn't know. He couldn't really understand how she was the one constantly calling him, when it used to be the other way around.

He stayed in all day, realizing that he was way too lazy to actually get up and do something. His parents came home a few times, but then went out again. But around 8:15, he received a phone call. He rolled his eyes and looked at the caller ID, expecting to see Naminé's number. But much to his surprise, it was someone unknown. He reluctantly answered, curious.

"Hello?"

"Roxas?" A frightened voice sounded. Roxas frowned.

"Who is this?" He asked.

"Sora..."

"Sora?"

"I need your help."

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**Le gasp !**

What could it be!? I hope to update really soon! Please leave a review. Sorry again for the wait!

**reviewwww ! (:**


	4. Naminé: Because of You

**Author's note: **Hayyy everyone! Thanks for reviewing (:, much appreciated! Hope you're all doing well... I've been okay :P. Well here's Naminé's chapter, its not that intense at all haha . Uh there's one more chapter before things really get good... The real drama is gonna start :O. So look forward to it! Or not...

**Review please!**

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**Giving it Away**

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**_They found their reason to be together._

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I got a problem and I don't know what to do about it  
Even if I did, I don't know if I would quit but I doubt it  
I'm taken by the thought of it, and I know this much is true

Baby, you have become my addiction,  
I'm so strung out on you  
I can barely move  
but I like it,

and its all because of you.

**July 14th**

Naminé sighed, letting long blonde hair tumble past her shoulders. It had been months since her last haircut... Ever since Kairi left, she'd just stopped caring about her appearance completely.

"Come on Kairi, just call him." Xion's voice sounded, snapping Naminé out of her momentary trance.

"W-What?" She stuttered. The raven haired girl rolled her eyes.

"I know who you're thinking about." She said, pointing towards a picture of a young blonde boy and girl sitting by Naminé's dresser. Naminé once again sighed. Xion knew her too well.

"I'm not calling him again Xion... I call him every friday and he never picks up. Its just no use... He officially hates me."

"He does not. I talk to Roxas pretty much every week... We go out drinking together a lot. He doesn't hate you."

"Then why won't he talk to me?"

Xion looked defeated. "... I don't know."

Naminé flopped down on her bed. "My life may as well end here."

"Oh, quit being so emo." Xion pouted, and she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She flipped it open, and read the caller ID. "Its Roxas." She said excitedly. Naminé immediately sat up and stared intently as her friend answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Xion?"

"Roxas!" Xion put the phone on speaker. "What's up?"

"Uh... Would you mind quickly running up to Hollow Bastion with me?"

The two girls exchanged confused looks. "Why?" Xion asked.

"Its kind of hard to say here."

"Just tell me."

"Uh... Well Kairi is kinda having a baby..."

"WHAT?" Naminé screeched, jumping up to her feet. "Since when!? Right now!?"

"... Why is Naminé there..." Roxas asked Xion dryly. Naminé ignored him and continued talking.

"Where is she? Is she okay?"

"I don't know." He said. "Sora called me and said that he was driving her to the hospital. I'm still waiting for more news."

"Okay... We'll be right over." Xion said.

"We?" Roxas asked. "No, Naminé can't come."

"Why not?"

"... Cause. Come alone, okay?"

"But Roxas---"

_"Click... Beep. Beep. Beep."_

Xion frowned, before flipping shut her phone. She met Naminé's hurt eyes, and smiled. "You know you're still coming, right?"

Naminé giggled, letting few tears escape her eyes. "Of course."

--

By the time the two girls arrived at Roxas' house, it was about 8:30 pm. Roxas was sitting on the hood of his red mercedes, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket, and looking very impatient.

"Hey," Xion called over, catching the blond's attention. But when Roxas saw Naminé trailing behind, he did not look happy. Naminé's heart was pounding so wildly just at the sight of him, it amazed her. She hadn't seen him for so long...

"What is she doing here." Roxas demanded in Xion's ear. Naminé couldn't hear him, but she knew what he was saying. And that, of course, made her feel like the lowest brand of crap.

"I couldn't just leave her behind... You have to think about Kairi, okay? She will want Naminé there." Xion whispered back.

Roxas rolled his blue orbs and sighed. "Fine. But we're leaving now. Riku's waiting in the car."

Xion stopped. "Riku?"

"Yeah. Sora called him up I guess, I don't actually know. He just kind of showed up."

"... Oh." Now it was Xion's turn to look unhappy.

"Think of Kairi, remember?" Roxas reminded her.

Xion pouted. "Fine."

Roxas jumped in the drivers seat. When Naminé saw this, she immediately yelled:

"SHOTGUN!"

She ran as fast as her little feet would take her, shoved Xion out of the way, and jumped in the spot beside Roxas. She wanted to talk to him so badly. Riku was in the back, and Xion once again did not look happy when she realized that she would be sitting beside her ex-boyfriend, who she didn't even talk to anymore. Nobody said a word as the car pulled out of the driveway... It was just a mixture of emotions filling the air. Everyone was feeling anxious... Especially Naminé. Not only was her best friend going into labor, but she was sitting beside the person she had been trying to contact for months. She felt incomplete... She just had to say something to him.

"Roxas?" She asked, breaking silence.

"... What." He said darkly.

"Why do you hate me?"

A new emotion suddenly flashed in his eyes, causing him to lose focus and momentarily lose the road.

"Hey, watch where you're driving!" Riku said from the back. Him and Xion both had headphones in.

"Sorry." Roxas muttered. He got back on track, but did not answer Naminé's question. She wasn't about to let this go.

"Why do you hate me?" She repeated. Still, he didn't answer. Naminé suddenly found tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry." She said. "I never meant for it to happen... I-I just... I missed you. I wanted you."

"So you used me." He finished for her.

"I wouldn't call it that." She said. "I never meant to--"

"You never meant to do anything." He snapped. "It was all a mistake. I was a mistake."

"Yes, you were! Because I didn't want our first time to be like that!"

"Did you even want a first time with me? You told me straight up... You don't love me."

"Thats not true... I do care about you."

"Well if everyone slept with everyone they cared about, the world would be a lot more populated."

"... I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too." He muttered, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. And after that, came silence. Roxas glanced over at the silently sobbing Naminé, and noticed something on her bare arms. "Where did those cuts come from?" He asked.

"What cuts?" She replied, keeping her eyes glued outside the window.

"Those ones." He took one hand away from the wheel for a moment so he could point at them. On her left arm, were multiple gashes. She looked ashamed, and hid her arm under the other one. "Where did they come from?" He repeated.

"I fell." She lied.

"Fell?"

"... Into a thorn bush."

"Yeah right. Where did they come from?"

"Can we talk about this later?" She suddenly snapped. Roxas, a little bit surprised from her sudden outburst, calmly backed down. Naminé stared out the window, letting her tears dry up. This was going to be a long car ride. A silent buzz was heard, and Roxas pulled out his cellphone. Everybody's attention turned to him, anxious to find out more news from Sora.

"Hello?... Olette." Naminé had no idea that Roxas and Olette were together again, so it came as a shock to her that the brunette girl would be calling. "Something came up, I'm on my way to Hollow Bastion. I'm sorry... I'll be back soon... Yeah." He glanced at Naminé. "Love you too. Bye."

Naminé's heart immediately skipped a beat... He loves... Olette? She realized then that she couldn't even speak, she was so shocked.

Yes, this ride was definitely going to be a long one.

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Hahah yeah, as I said earlier the real drama starts in the chapter after the next one... You will see! Warning: The story isn't going to be very happy, I will tell you right now. It will have its great moments, but for some people... D:

Anyways, **review please!**


	5. Xion: Wasted

**Author's note: **Yeah, thats right... I updated.

**Review please!**

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**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together._

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_Standing at the back door  
She tried to make it fast  
One tear hit the hard wood  
It fell like broken glass  
She said sometimes love slips away  
And you just can't get it back

_Let's face it_

For one split second  
She almost turned around  
But that would be like pouring rain drops  
Back into a cloud  
So she took another step and said  
I see the way out and I'm gonna' take it

**July 15th**

The only thing Xion could hear was the car rumbling, and the incredibly irritating _clicking _noise coming from Riku's ipod. Hers had run out of batteries about an hour ago... And so far, she was going insane. She looked over to her ex boyfriend, who she currently had no spoken to at all, and saw that he was playing some stupid game. She rolled her cerulean eyes.

"Could you turn the sound off?" She finally asked him. His aqua orbs shot to her, and read her annoyed expression. Without a word, he turned back to his ipod and ignored her request. Xion immediately got pissed off. Well, even more than she already was... This was not part of the arrangement. If she had known that she'd been sitting beside _Riku, _then she would have borrowed her mom's car or something. This was horrible.

"Turn it off." She said sternly. "I can't stand that friggen clicking noise!"

Once again, he ignored her. So, Xion, being the impulsive person that she is, snatched the ipod from his grasp and shoved it in the pocket of her jeans.

"Hey!" Riku objected. "Give that back." He tried to grab it, but she slapped him.

"Only if you turn that friggen clicking thing off." She said.

"No, I like it."

"Its annoying."

"You're annoying."

"Wow, good one." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not giving it to you."

"Roxas?" Riku called up.

"So what, are you telling on me?" Xion mused.

"What?" Roxas answered.

"Xion won't give me back my ipod."

Roxas scoffed. "Xion, give Riku back his ipod."

"No, its annoying me."

"You're annoying me, but I can't just get rid of you now can I?" Riku shot at her. Xion scowled at him.

"I'm not giving it back."

"Give it to me." Riku demanded. "Its _my _ipod."

"So what? I don't care."

"Give it to me."

"No."

"Now!"

"No!"

Suddenly, the car jerked to a stop. "Will you guys _shut the fuck up!?" _Roxas shouted. "Fuck! How old are you, twelve? Grow up!"

All eyes fell on the angry blond. None of them had ever seen Roxas that mad before! Without another word, Xion took the ipod from her pocket and handed it back to Riku, who right away turned off the clicking noise. Once the car was in peaceful silence, Roxas began to drive.

Xion was already going crazy, when she suddenly remembered that _thing _she'd brought in her bag... She reached in and pulled out a bottle. She opened it, and almost immediately the strong scent of alcohol drifted to Riku's nose. He scrunched it and frowned at Xion.

"Why do you have that?" He asked.

"... I like to drink." She answered.

Riku didn't really know what to say. "You shouldn't do that." He said, watching as she took a swig from the bottle.

"Oh?"

"Alcohol is really bad for you."

"Is that so?"

"It kills brain cells, especially if you're drinking a lot of it."

"Uh-huh."

Riku grimaced. "You don't care do you."

"Not really." She took another drink. Surprisingly, Riku didn't like seeing her like this, even though he really had no romantic feelings for her anymore.

"How often do you drink?" He asked.

"Everyday." She answered.

"... Stop." He grabbed the bottle from her before she could drink anymore. "At least not while we're in the car."

"Why stop me?" She grabbed it back and drank more.

"Because." He took it back.

"Cause why?" And again, and snatched it from him and took a drink.

"Because." He repeated, taking the bottle.

"Stop that!" She yelled, taking the bottle and shoving it back in her bag.

"Shut up." Roxas called back to them.

"Sorry." Xion and Riku said simultaneously, their eyes meeting. They could clearly see how frustrated Roxas was. After that, the both of them decided to just drop it. Of course, Xion took out her bottle and began to drink again. Riku decided to just ignore her.

-

Little under half an hour later, Roxas' cell phone rang, waking the sleeping friends. They all sat up straight and listened as Roxas answered it.

"Hello?" He asked drowsily, for he was a bit tired from all the driving. They had been on the road for _hours_ now.

"Hey." Sora's voice sounded.

"Sora! How is she?"

"She's fine." Sora said. "She's gonna be in labor soon though... Kairi was shocked when she saw me, so it triggered contractions. False alarm, thank god. She's due sometime tomorrow."

"Oh... That's good then I guess."

"Yeah. Where are you guys?"

"Uhh..." Roxas looked out the window, reading a large sign lit up in lights reading 'TRAVERSE TOWN'. "We're just passing through Traverse Town... About three more hours and we'll be there."

"Thats good. We're at the Radiant Garden hospital, just on the outskirts of town."

"Kay."

"Bye."

"See you soon."

Roxas hung up the phone, and turned his full attention back to driving. There were bags under his now red eyes, and he looked extremely exhausted. Naminé noticed this.

"Roxas..." She said, her voice causing him to flinch.

"...What."

"Are you okay? Do you want me to take over the driving?"

"No, its fine." He said coldly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Just... Shut up and let me concentrate."

She looked a little taken back by his choice of words, but was able to shrug it off. She slowly drifted into sleep, so many different emotions running through her head.

* * *

Heh, so I was on a roll writing, and decided to update very quickly! Yay :D. You might notice that the chapters aren't soley revolved around the character its dedicated to, but the song is. This chapter is for Xion! Next one is Riku, but yeah it won't be all about him because there really isn't much to say when it comes to that guy... :P

**Review!!! (L)**


	6. Riku: Baby, Come On

**Author's note: **Hey again everybody! Thanks so much for the reviews (: , I love reading them! Here's the next chapter, another early update :P.

**Review Please !**

**

* * *

Giving it Away  
**

_They found their reason to be together._

_

* * *

_She's a pretty girl. She's always falling down.  
And I think I just fell in love with her,  
But she won't ever remember, remember.  
And I can always find her at the bottom of a plastic cup.  
Drowning in drunk sincerity.

_A sad and lonely girl._

Quit crying your eyes out.  
Quit crying your eyes out and, Baby come on.  
Isn't there something familiar about me?  
The past is only the future with the lights on.  
Quit crying your eyes out, Baby.

**June 15th**

Riku found himself drifting in and out of consciousness, as him, Roxas, Naminé and Xion drove to Hollow Bastian, where Kairi would soon be giving birth to her child. It was kind of awkward sitting beside Xion... And annoying. She kept on drinking, and at one point was obviously drunk. Now, however, she was silently sleeping by his side. She looked so peaceful; it sent butterflies to his stomach, and reminded him of how amazing she was when they were going out.

He shook the thoughts from his head. Him and Xion were over, they had been for a very long time. In fact, he was pretty sure his feelings for her had gone away... But now, being so close to her... It just kept on coming up and reminding him. He hated it.

It was very early in the morning when the four finally arrived in Hollow Bastion... Roxas was exhausted. Nevertheless, he rushed into the hospital just as quickly as everyone else. They asked the lady at the counter where Kairi was, and followed the directions. They rushed down the white hallway, and into a small empty waiting room.

"Oh, are you here for Ms. Jacob?" Asked a nurse, who was passing by with a clipboard.

Naminé nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, where is she?"

The lady smiled. "Just down the hall, and to the left."

Everyone nodded, and raced off. They spun around the corner, and the first thing they saw was Sora sitting by a sleeping Kairi.

Naminé couldn't contain her excitement. "KAI--"

"Shh!" Roxas hushed her. She blushed a little, and obeyed. Sora then noticed them there. He stood to his feet, walked out of the hospital room, closed the door, and faced his friend.

"Hey." He said through a sigh.

"Is she okay?" Xion asked eagerly.

"Yeah." Sora nodded. "She's just resting... She's going to be so shocked when she sees you all here."

"I can't wait to talk to her." Naminé chimed. "Its been so long..."

"Yeah, tell me about it..." Sora quietly opened the door, and allowed them all access. "She's going to be awake soon." He said.

And sure enough, as everyone entered, Kairi's eyes fluttered open.

"Mmm..." She groaned, stretching her arms in the air. "Sora?" She asked.

"I'm here." He whispered, walking to her side. "You have guests..."

"Huh?" She fully opened her eyes, and then noticed everybody.

"W-What are you guys doing here?" She stammered in shock.

Naminé grinned. "We came to see you!" She giggled. "I've missed you so much!"

"I missed you too..." Kairi said. "And everyone else is here... Roxas, Xion." She smiled warmly, tears filling her eyes. "And is that... Riku?"

He grinned. "Yup. Just because we haven't talked for what seems like years, doesn't mean I don't want to be there for you."

"Yeah!" Sora chuckled. "I talked to Riku all about the good ol' days. The three of us used to be tight!"

Kairi laughed through a sob. "Awe... Thanks so much you guys."

"Its the least we can do." Roxas smiled. "So, do you know what it is?" He pointed to her very large stomach.

"Naw... I wanted to keep it a surprise." She replied.

"Ah, I see."

"I guess we're gonna find out soon enough though." Roxas said. "Sora said you're due today?"

Kairi's already pale face turned much whiter. "Please... Don't remind me."

Sora chuckled. "She's scared shitless."

"Don't worry!" Xion smiled. "You're going to be fine, and so will your baby."

"Thanks." Kairi grinned. "I hope so." Suddenly, a new look of shock crossed the redhead's expression... It was pain. "Ow!" She cried out. "Shit, contractions! Get the nurse!"

"Oh, fuck!" Sora said, rushing out of the room. Only moments later two nurses rushed in, Sora trailing behind. One nurse took Kairi's hand, and then other turned to the group.

"I'm going to have to ask you guys to wait in the waiting room." She said. At that point, everyone knew...

This was it.

* * *

:O ! Intense, eh? Haha not really. Hope you all liked it!

**Review please (:.**


	7. Sora: Swim

**Author's note: ***drum roll* AND NOW, THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR...

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

_

* * *

_You've gotta swim  
Swim for your life  
Swim for the music  
That saves you  
When you're not so sure you'll survive  
You gotta swim

And swim when it hurts  
The whole world is watching  
You haven't come this far  
To fall off the earth  
The currents will pull you  
Away from your love  
Just keep your head above

I found a tidal wave  
Begging to tear down the dawn  
Memories like bullets  
They fired at me from a gun  
A crack in the armor

I swim to brighter days  
Despite the absence of sun  
Choking on salt water  
I'm not giving in  
I swim

**June 15th**

Sora's heart had never beaten this fast before in his life...

He could feel every part of his body pulsing, and sweat quickly beaded up on his forehead.

"Sir, please leave the room." A woman, the nurse, instructed Sora. But he was too shocked to even pay attention. How could he leave? The love of his life was now giving birth to his child...

"NO!" Kairi screamed. "He has to stay!"

"Miss, please calm down." The nurse said.

"He's the father!" She objected. "Isn't he allowed to stay?!"

"Oh... Yes, thats true." THe nurse looked annoyed. "Alright then."

"T-Thank you." Sora muttered. He quickly walked over to Kairi's side. She put a death grip on his hand, and he could clearly see how much pain she was in. Only moments later a doctor rushed in, with another nurse following.

"She's in labor." One nurse said.

"Yes, I can see that." The doctor said. He spread apart Kairi's legs. "I can see the head."

"W-What!?" Kairi gasped, breathing hard. Her face was now almost as red as her hair, and the grip on Sora's hand only increased. Yes, it hurt him, but he couldn't pull away. Kairi needed him.

"Okay, Kairi?" The doctor said. "Take deep breaths. On three, I'm going to need you to push."

Kairi nodded, huffing her breaths.

"One... Two... Three!"

She burst out into a fit of screams, pushing with all her might, the grip on Sora's hand more painful than ever.

"You're doing good." The doctor said.

"FUCK!" She screamed in reply.

About ten minutes later, and what felt like hours to Kairi, the child was born. The doctor, who they learned was named Dr. Henry, pulled the little bundle from Kairi's body, and the nurses quickly grabbed supplies to clean off the newborn. Dr. Henry smiled warmly at Kairi.

"Its a girl."

Kairi broke out into the most joyful smile she'd ever had, and tears flowed down her cheeks. They wrapped the baby in a pink blanket and handed it to Kairi. The smile never left her face as she cradled her new child.

"She's so beautiful." She sobbed. Sora moved in closer to gaze at the face. He could definitely see what Kairi was talking about.

"We'll give you some alone time." Dr. Henry said softly, then excited the room, the nurses following. Sora and Kairi sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, just enjoying this amazing feeling. Neither of them imagined that having a baby would feel so wonderful...

"Amaya." Kairi said, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"I want to name her Amaya... What do you think?"

Sora grinned. "I think thats a lovely name."

Kairi smiled through her tears, then stared back down at Amaya. "I think so too."

They stared back at each other, allowing their blue eyes to lock. Expressions falling serious, they both knew what was coming next. The kiss. Sora didn't hesitate; he bent down and softly pressed his lips to hers, breathing in her familiar scent. He fully realized how much he'd missed her, and she for him. They broke apart, and smiled at each other.

"Its been too long." Kairi chuckled.

Sora grinned. "I couldn't agree more."

-

The group, excluding Sora and Kairi of course, all impatiently waited in the waiting room. Everyone was anxious to know what was going on, when Naminé suddenly realized something.

"We don't have a present for the baby!" She exclaimed. "I can't believe i forgot!"

"We'll get one later." Roxas said.

"I want one now! I want to surprise them."

"No."

"Yes. Can I borrow your car? I saw a really cute shop just on the outskirts of town."

"No! Just wait." Roxas was beginning to get irritated. Riku and Xion could tell, but Naminé appeared to be oblivious.

"Come on! I won't wreck it."

"Yes you will. You don't even know how to drive."

"Oh yeah... I forgot." She grinned sheepishly. "You drive me then."

"Oh my god." Roxas rolled his eyes. "Fine. Lets go."

"Yes!" Naminé chimed.

Roxas turned to Riku and Xion. "We'll be back in ten minutes."

* * *

TADAAA !

Lmao, hope you liked it. I know it wasn't very long, but I'll probably update really soon(Y).

**REVIEW PLEASE! :D**


	8. Namine: Chemisty of a Car Crash

**Author's note: **Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews! (:.

**READ: **Scene in this inspired by the music video of 'The Scientist' by Coldplay. That song will be used for the next chapter!

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

what took you so far away?  
you're lost for tonight again  
that's what you wanted,  
your arms to your side again..

just take away the words i say  
cause i know  
that you don't feel the same  
just go and say  
what's in your head  
and i won't try to stop you

you hold the rights i'll never own  
and i've never felt  
so alien  
don't tear us apart again

what is the use of it  
we're ok .. it's nothing . .  
it's all chemistry of a car crash

**June 15th**

The awkwardness was so heavy, Roxas could practically taste it. Namine tapped her fingers impatiently on the dash, annoying the other blond even more than he already was. But he had self control; he restrained himself from saying anything. He didn't want to talk to her, anyways. Unfortunetly, Namine felt differently.

"So..." She began, "What's... New?"

"Nothing." He simply replied.

"Oh... Kay?"

"Yep."

"Ugh," She rolled her eyes out of frustration. "Will you stop being such a downer? Kairi is having a baby! Be happy, jesus."

Roxas frowned. "How can I be happy with you here?"

Namine looked hurt from the comment, but took it lightly. "Ouch." She said. "Anyways, try and be happy for Kairi. Ignore me, if you'd like."

"That's what I've been trying to do."

"Why? Why do you hate me so much?"

"Haven't we already been through this?"

"No. If I recall correctly, you never answered my question." She sighed. "Look, I've taken the hint that you hate me, okay? I'm not as stupid as you probably think I am. I just want to know why... I just don't get it."

"... I don't hate you." He finally said, after a pause. "And no, I do not think you're stupid. You're actually one of the smartest girls I know."

She smiled. "Well, for someone who 'doesn't hate me', you sure act like you do!"

Roxas couldn't hold back a grin.

"See? There's a smile." She joked.

He immediately wiped it off his face, turned serious again, and went back to ignoring her. Then, of course, he remembered the scratches on her arms. He glanced over at her. Yep, they were still there.

"How'd you fall." He asked blankly, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"Huh?" She looked at her arms. "Oh, right. Um... I tripped?"

"Sure you did." He didn't meet her eyes, for he had to pay attention to the road. "Why do you do it?"

"Do what?" She asked dumbly.

"That. The cuts. Why do you cut yourself?"

Namine was, once again, taken back sat how blunt he had become. The old Roxas would never have asked a serious question straight up like that. "Uh..." The blonde didn't know how to reply.

"... You can tell me." He said. "I won't say anything."

"Ugh. Guess you caught me, huh?"

"Looks like it."

"I'm lonely, okay?" She suddenly spat, taking Roxas off guard. "Honestly, I've been hanging out with myself for the past five months. I stopped hanging out with Selphie once I found out she slept with Seifer, Xion is always busy, and yeah. You're you. I don't even know Riku."

"So you think a few cuts will 'take the pain away'? Oh please." He rolled his eyes. Namine shot him a disturbed look.

"I must say, you've become quite _nasty, _Roxas." She said angrily. "You don't even understand, thats not all. Its because of _you! _You made it seem like you hated me so much, and you have no idea how much that hurt me!"

"... Actually, I do have an idea." He said sterly, keeping his eyes glued to the road.

Namine suddenly remembered what _she'd _done. She realized that what Roxas had put her through, wasn't nearly as horrible as what she'd put him through. She'd rejected him, ignored him, used him... She was terrible. She couldn't hold back tears. Never in her life had she felt this awful.

"Why are you crying?" Roxas asked bitterly, noticing how Namine was not-so-silently sobbing next to him.

"I feel... Horrible!" She blurted out. "I-I didn't even know... I'm... I'm sorry. I... I just wasn't sure of how I felt. It's true, I didn't love you, but I did care about you a lot! Then I realized that I do have feelings for you... But, I don't know. I..."

"Stop." He said. "You're rambling." She nodded, and wiped her tears. She took a few moments to calm herself down, before she spoke again. Taking a deep breath, she simply said:

"I'm sorry."

Not knowing how to reply to that, he decided to say nothing. There were so many emotions running through his head. Guilt, sadness, and even a little bit or anger. He just didn't know what to feel.

As the emotion's ran through his mind, tears began to cloud up his vision. He blinked several times, trying to clear them.

"Roxas?" She said quietly, quickly grabbing his attention. "I realized something..."

"What uh, what is it?" He was trying to keep his cool. He hated crying in front of people.

"I--" She stopped in mid sentence, staring ahead in horror. "Roxas, look out!" She screamed. The disoriented blond looked ahead, only to see a very large transport truck heading straight for them. It was in a forest, out in the country, so there were not many cars on the road. This took Roxas by surprise, but thinking quick, he turned the wheel to the side. The car went flying to the side, avoiding the truck. But, what Roxas didn't see, was the ditch at the side of the road. The side they were flying right towards.

Namine's screams were muffled by the sound of crashing, as the car burst through a wooden fence. The car sped town the ditch, flipping over twice while rolling down. All that could be heard was the metalic sound of the car being crushed. It slid down the muddy hill, and then finally, came to a very abrupt hill, crashing sideways into a tree.

Roxas didn't even know what was running through his mind. Throughout the entire experience, which felt completely unreal, he was concious. And still, he was, and in pain. His arm was currenly crushed beneath a piece of metal. Luckily for him, that was the only main part of him damaged, other than a few scratches here and there, and a large gash at the wide of his forehead. After several minutes, he clued into reality. Without thinking twice, he struggled to het the metal off his arm, and pushed his way out of the car. And then, _Namine._

"Namine?" He called out. He rushed over to her side of the car. But Namine wasn't there. All he could see was blood, and broken glass. He then realized that the entire windsheild was broken. Confused, his eyes darted around for her.

She was no where to be seen...

* * *

FUCK the fuckfodgrbeibgwer3nteonorwn3t4 ::: word processor on this site sucks balls!!! :|

Anyways, calming down... whew... so... pissed off....

D:! Namine, where is she? :O

**Review please!**


	9. Roxas: The Scientist

**Author's note!: **IM BACK! Sorry for the long wait! All you reviewers are great :D sorry i dont always reply, I can if you'd like me to? (:

Sooo0o0o0o this chapter is a nice one. Hope you like it!

**REVIEW :D**

**

* * *

**

Giving it Away

_They found their reason to be together._

_

* * *

_Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry  
_You don't know how lovely you are_  
I had to find you  
Tell you I need you

Tell you I've set you apart  
Tell me your secrets  
And ask me your questions  
Oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles  
Coming up tails  
Heads on the science apart

Nobody said it was easy  
_It's such a shame for us to part_  
Nobody said it was easy  
_No one ever said it would be this hard..._

**Oh take me back to the start**

**July 15th**

Roxas' head was spinning in every possible direction.

_Where is she? _Kept on running through his mind, as he aimlessly wandering through the forest in search of Naminé's hopefully living body. She wasn't dead, he refused to believe it. She just couldn't be.

"Naminé!" He called out, his mind elsewhere. He shoved countless branches out of the way as he ran, not caring if they scraped his body, which was already aching. He stopped and listened for a response, but all he could hear was birds chirping and flying about. "Fuck..." He sped off once again, this time back towards where they had crashed. He called out her name many times there, but still no reply. He then figured that her body must have fallen out of the car when they went down the ditch. Roxas may have acted irrational, but he still was no idiot.

He began to truck up the hill, following the tire marks. Only now did he realize how deep that ditch really was. He was walking for at least fifteen minutes before he saw any sigh of Naminé's presence. There was a shred of her clothing, and he could actually see some strands of her light blonde hair stuck in the dirt. He knew that she was nearby.

"Naminé!"

He looked forward, and saw that there was a trail of knocked down branches, and a few more pieces of clothing. With no more delay, he headed down this path, and didn't stop until he found her. And sure enough, he did.

-

Kairi cradled her new born baby in her arms, smiling down warmly at the beautiful creation her and Sora had made. There were so many emotions in both of the teen's heads, so many thoughts. But they were all positive. Neither had ever been so happy before in their entire lives. The kiss that had occurred between them only minutes before pretty much sealed the deal that the two of them were back together. And now they had two reasons to be unbearably joyful.

Kairi looked to Sora and smiled.

"Would you like to hold her?"

Sora raised his eyebrows. "Me? Really?" He gaped in disbelief.

The redhead couldn't help but giggle. "You _are _the father, silly."

He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Oh... Right." He smiled as Kairi handed the small bundle to him, and carefully took it out of his old friend's arms. The warm grin never left Kairi's lips. Sora had never looked so adorable in his life, and she could clearly see the evident joy and amazement in his cerulean eyes.

She knew for sure, that this was meant to be. What seemed to be her life's biggest mistake definitely turned out to be her life's greatest blessing. And she didn't regret it for a moment.

-

Naminé's lifeless body was sprawled across the ground, covered from head to toe in dirt and scratches. Pure concern and fear filled Roxas' eyes as he ran up to her, dropping on his knees before the one he knew he still loved. Her pale face had never looked so peaceful, dispite the fact that it had mud and scratches on it. Carefully, he cradled her face in his hand, and lightly tapped her cheek, hoping for a response. But he got nothing. He then scanned her body for any serious injuries; He saw none. So why wasn't she waking up?

It was impossible for her to be dead. Simply impossible.

And once again, he refused to believe it. Without any more hesitation, he placed his ear to the left side of her chest. Heartbeat?

... Nothing.

Her skin was so cold, he hated seeing her like this. And now was the part where he didn't know what to do.

His whole life had just collapsed on top of him. Naminé was seriously hurt, he needed to get her help but... He felt so weak.

_She is _not _dead. _He told himself. Roxas had always been stubborn. Suddenly, he found tears coming to his eyes. "You aren't dead..." He said, getting placing his hands on the ground around her shoulders so he could look directly at her peaceful face. "You're not..." Squinting his eyes to suppress the pain (failing), he clenched the dirt and began to feel anger set in. "Its my fault... Its _my fucking fault!" _He shouted and punched the ground, tears falling onto Naminé's face, washing little of the dirt away. "Why am I so stupid... Why--How could I let this happen!? I... I love you. I always have. I always will. I'm such a monster..."

"If I... If I just hadn't been such a fucking _idiot..." _As he ranted more tears fell, but of course Roxas didn't notice. He couldn't lose this thoughts of self hate. In all honesty, he had never hated anyone more than he hated himself right now. "So... Stupid! So. Fucking. Stupid!"

"You're not stupid..." A very meek, quiet voice sounded. Roxas' eyes darted open, and he sat up on his knees.

"Who said that?" He shouted, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Roxas." She said boldly. He knew this time who it was, but he didn't dare to look. It was just his mind playing games on him... "Roxas, look at me..."

"You... No, this isn't real." He buried his eyes in the palms of his hands.

"Roxas you fucking _idiot, _look at me right now or I swear to god, when we get home I'm burning every single yu-gi-oh card you own."

This caught his attention.

He looked down, to see an irritated expression worn on Naminé's face.

The cheesiest, widest grin he'd ever grinned immediately came across his face.

"Naminé!" He exclaimed, laughing. He pulled her into a tight hug.

"Ow! Roxas I'm hurt." She muttered.

"Oh... Sorry." He blushed, the excitement calming down.

"Wanna get me to the car now?"

"Oh..." His face fell. "Um, about the car..."

"... How bad did it crash."

"Pretty bad." He said grimly. "Here, let me help you up." He threw one arm over one of his shoulders, and lifted her to her feet. "Where are you hurt?"

She chuckled solemnly. "Everywhere."

"Alright... Look, we'll come back for the car later. We'll get to the highway and I'll call someone for a ride."

"Your cell phone is alive?"

"Yeah, pretty sure... Its in my pocket. I'm not really hurt all that bad..." He sighed after a short pause. "Naminé I'm so sorry." He couldn't bare to meet her eyes. "This is all my fault..."

"You don't need to explain, Roxas. I heard everything you said back there." They began to follow the tire marks up the hill.

"Everything?" He gulped.

She nodded. "Everything."

"... Everything?"

She met his eyes and nodded once again. "Everything."

Roxas didn't know what to say. _Everything _meant everything. _So much for 'I don't love you'..._

They walked the rest of the way in silence, and about an hour later made it to the highway. Roxas sat Naminé down at the side of the road, and beached beside her. They both needed a rest.

"Roxas?" She began, eyes glued to the ground.

"Yeah?"

She looked nervous; He didn't know why. Naminé closed her eyes and swallowed, looking as if she were about to say something important.

"I love you too."

* * *

AH

She said it.

Hope you like ;P

I won't update until most of you review(A), so reivew pleaseeee!

**Review (: !**


	10. Riku: Fall For You

**Author's note: **Hey! Thanks so much for the reviews everyone, much appreciated :D. So, this chapter is kinda shitty/half assed, I apologize for that, but I really wanted to update :P.

**Review pleaseeee!**

* * *

Giving it Away

_They found their reason to be together._

_

* * *

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
Could it be that we have been this way before  
I know you don't think that I am trying  
I know you're wearing thin down to the core

But hold your breathe

Because tonight will be the night  
That I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
You're impossible to find

**July 15th**

The silence in the waiting room was the most awkward silence they had ever felt.

There were so many things that they could say, but neither Riku nor Xion wanted to. So, they just sat there... Not-so-patiently waiting.

Suddenly, Xion laughed. Riku looked at her.

"What's so funny?" He asked, speaking for the first time in minutes. She smiled.

"Us." She said simply. "We're so awkward, its actually hilarious."

Riku thought about it and grinned. "Yeah, you're right."

"Good god... We really messed up didn't we."

He nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

She turned to face him, extending her hand. "Friends?"

Riku looked in her eyes to make sure she was serious, and then nodded, shaking it. "Friends."

She laughed again. "Thank god! That awkwardness was killing me."

"Oh me too."

Xion sighed, smiling. "I can't believe we're not fighting... Its been a really long time."

Riku chuckled. "I know, I'm glad. Fights always stress me out."

"Mhm..."

"So how've you been?" He asked. She smiled sadly.

"Um... Well I've been better..." She shrugged. "Been worse, too. So I guess I'm alright."

"Do you really have a drinking problem?"

She laughed. "Ah... I wouldn't call it that. I'm just... I haven't been happy."

Riku looked concerned for her. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault..." Her cerulean eyes were turning glassy. "I just... Fuck." She wiped the tears from her eyes; Xion hated crying in front of people. "I shouldn't have ever rejected you." She told him, fully catching Riku's attention.

"What?" He gaped in disbelief, then laughed a little. "I thought you hated me or something."

She smiled. "Nah, not hate. I was just annoyed and confused. It took me until now to realize that you made me happy, and were the only one who made me happy."

Riku didn't know how to reply to that. "Well... You make me happy too." He grinned. "Well, when you're not drunk or fighting with me."

"Haha... I don't want to be that anymore. I think I'll quit drinking, until I can control myself at least."

He smiled, satisfied with what she'd told him. "Thats a good thing!" He exclaimed. "I'm proud that you can make those decisions for yourself, Xion." She met his eyes and grinned.

"Thanks, I'm gonna do my best."

He smiled. Xion really was a special girl.

Shortly later, Kairi and Sora came out into the room, Kairi holding a little bundle. Xion gasped.

"Kairi!" She exclaimed, running up to her. She looked down at the bundle, and saw the beautiful face of their child.

The redhead smiled warmly. "Her name is Amaya."

Xion grinned. "Thats a beautiful name." Riku then got up and looked at the child, amazed.

"Wow." Was all he could say.

Sora wrapped his arm around Kairi's shoulder and looked down at the sleeping baby-- _His _baby. It was truly an amazing moment for everyone.

Just then, Sora's cell phone rang in his pocket. "Agh who the hell is calling me..." He muttered, reaching into the pocket of his jeans. Everyone looked at him for an answer. "Oh, its just Roxas." He flipped open the phone. "Hello?"

"Sora?" A slightly distressed Roxas said through the phone.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Can... Can you come pick us up?"

"Uh what? Where's your car?"

Roxas sighed. "There's... Been an accident."

Sora's expression turned concerned, and he stood up straight. "An accident?" He repeated. Kairi, Riku and Xion exchanged looks.

"We're on the highway, ten or so minutes in... You'll see us."

"Are you alright? Is Naminé okay?"

"She's hurt, but alive. We're both fine, can you come now?"

"Uh..." Sora hesitated and looked at Kairi, who simply nodded. "Yeah, I'll be there."

"Thanks, please hurry." Roxas hung up.

Sora turned to face everyone. "There's been an accident." He told them. "I've gotta go pick them up." He kissed Kairi on the cheek, and kissed Amaya on the forehead. "I'll be back soon alright?"

Kairi nodded, her expression genuinely concerned. "Hurry back, I hope they're okay."

He waved and rushed out of the building, leaving everyone else to wait.

---

Roxas and Naminé sat on the side of the road, Naminé laying in his arms. They both looked exhausted, but somehow peaceful.

"How're you feeling?" Roxas asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I'm okay... You?"

He laughed. "Tired, thats all... Sora will be here soon, we'll get you to the hospital." She nodded, and they waited in comfortable silence.

Sora finally showed up at the scene and rushed out of the car to help his friends up.

"Hey, thanks for coming." Roxas said, helping Sora help Naminé stand. He nodded.

"No problem, what happened?"

"We crashed in that ditch." Roxas explained, nodding towards the gap in the fence. Sora's eyes widened.

"Man that sucks... How's your car?"

Roxas shrugged. "Don't know, don't care." They helped Naminé into the car. "I just want to get Naminé to safety, she's hurt."

"Yeah I can see that... Don't worry, it'll be fine."

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, it will."

Roxas got in the passenger seat and Sora sped down the road. It was a good thing that the hospital wasn't far, because Naminé was beginning to feel very faint.

Roxas looked to Sora. "How's Kairi?"

He smiled. "Great. Just had a healthy baby girl."

"Really?" Naminé exclaimed from the back seat. "I bet she's beautiful, what's her name?"

"Calm down Naminé, you don't have much energy." Roxas chuckled.

Sora laughed. "Her name is Amaya, and yes, she's very beautiful. Looks just like her mother."

Roxas smiled. "I'm happy for the both of you."

They pulled up to the hospital and pulled Naminé out. A few nurses noticed and right away rushed to help, asking many questions. Roxas answered them all easily. The nurses instructed Sora and Roxas to wait in the waiting room, and they listened. They went and sat down, watching Naminé get carried into a room. Sora pulled out his phone and texted Kairi to come down with everyone.

"Whew." Sora exhaled. "This is way to much excitement for one day, if you ask me."

Roxas chuckled and nodded. "Agreed."

The others soon arrived, looking as concerned as ever.

"What happened?" Kairi asked, baffled.

"She'll be fine." A doctor answered, entering the waiting room. "She's just suffered minor injuries."

Roxas got up and walked to him. "When will she be let go?"

"Within the next our, we just need to get some good food in her to help build her energy up." A certain looked flashed in his eyes. "Is there a reason for the... Cuts, on her arms?"

The blond sighed. "No, I don't know about those. You'll have to ask her."

The doctor nodded. "Alright son, you can just wait here until she's ready."

Roxas thanked the doctor and returned to his seat, immediately noticing Kairi's child in her hands.

"Hey, nice kid!" He pointed with a smile. Kairi giggled.

"Wow Roxas, real mood swing."

He smiled. "She's beautiful, really."

Kairi nodded and grinned, "Thanks very much!"

Everyone then sat in silence, all lost in their own thoughts. Today really had been an exciting day...

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**Review! I promise that the next chapter will be better!**


	11. Sora: Mistakes We Knew We Were Making

**Author's note: **Hi everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews, they all really mean a lot to me. Sorry I don't update that often D: but I'm trying here!

**Review please!!!**

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Giving it Away

_They found their reason to be together._

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What at once just seemed the **impossible**,  
Now makes perfect sense.  
We held hands to face the uncomfortable cold,  
And lonely room.  
Magazines and empty distractions  
**Barely got us through.**

Mistakes we knew we were making.  
Mistakes we knew we were making.  
Don't think about chances we're taking,

And when we try to think of the life inside,  
_We found ourselves looking at the world through new eyes._  
What can now be said?

**The list goes on and on...**

**July 18th**

It had been three days since everyone had last been together. Kairi was forced to stay in the hospital for a while since she was, apparently not ready to leave yet, and neither was Amaya. Sora stayed in a hotel nearby, and everyone else went home.

Sora was texting Roxas all day, interrogating him on where he and Naminé's relationship was now. He was also keeping in touch with Riku, who was worried about Kairi and the baby. Sora was sure that there was nothing to stress over, since he visited his redheaded love everyday.

Today, Kairi was being set free from the hospital. Sora was happy for that, but nervous at the same time. He hadn't even told his parents.

As he drove to the hospital, he thought about it. Would his father be supportive? He had always been a moderately good father, despite his never being around. But Sora had also never even mentioned to his parents about Kairi's pregnancy, so he wondered what they would think, and if they would disapprove like Kairi's parents did. He didn't want to get kicked out, he couldn't afford that.

So, not being able to handle the suspense, he pulled over at the side of the road and flipped out his cell phone, dialing his fathers number.

"Hello?" Came the familiar voice.

"Hi, dad."

"Sora? Where on earth have you been?"

Sora laughed nervously. "Sorry I... I didn't think you'd notice."

"Of course I'd notice if my son's been gone for almost a week."

"Sorry, sir."

"Its alright. Are you coming home?"

"Uh, well look, thats not really why I called." His father's silence intimidated him, but he continued. "I'm in Radiant Garden."

"Why are you there?" The man asked sternly. Sora gulped. This was it...

"My uh... Well, I don't really know how to put this..."

"What happened?" There was a hint of worry in his voice. Sora exhaled, exasperated with himself.

"My girlfriend had a baby." He blurted out, immediately clenching his eyes shut as he waited for an answer. But he got none. There was only silence on the other line, for one very long minute. "Dad?" Sora finally asked.

"I'm uh, here, son..."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"... What do you think?"

"Is the baby yours?"

He sighed and hesitated. "Yes."

"Oh god Sora, what did you do!?" This wasn't exactly an angered question, more distressed, really. Sora felt regretful for even calling this man...

"I-- I don't know. It was a long time ago..."

"How long have you known?"

"About five months."

There was a sigh. "Why didn't you tell your mother and I?"

"I don't know." He answered truthfully. "I guess I was afraid you'd, I dunno kick me out."

"You know we wouldn't do that."

"No, I really don't know. In fact, I barely know you-- Or mom, at all."

"What do you mean?"

"You're never around... How can you expect to have told you about the pregnancy when you're never even home?"

There was a very long pause, until his father finally sighed. "I'm sorry, Sora, but your mother and I are very busy people."

"Yeah, I know."

"Are you and this girl still together?"

"Of course."

"Well then what do you plan on doing? Raising a child together?"

This was something Sora had thought about a lot. He never had the guts to actually ask Kairi what the plan was, since he assumed it was a sensitive topic for the both of them. After all, neither of the teens had jobs. Could they really provide Amaya with the life she needed? "I'm not sure." Sora said after a while. "We haven't talked about it yet..."

"Sora... Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you have what it takes to raise a baby."

"I know, dad. That's why I'm scared. I don't want to lose my girlfriend, or my daughter."

"Its a girl?" A sudden bit of happiness laced his fathers voice. Sora could tell that he was smiling. "Your mother will be so happy... She's always wanted a girl."

"Dad!" He exclaimed. "This is my child, not mom's."

"I know, I know. All I meant by that was that your mother will be happy to know her first grandchild is a girl."

"Oh."

Someone began to talk to Sora's father through the other line, and Sora frowned. "Hold up a minute son." The man said. There was no sound for a minute or two. After what seemed like hours, he returned. "I'm sorry, Sora, but I'm going to have to let you go."

"...Oh."

"I apologize, really. Do you want me to tell your mother about the news, or do you want to?"

"Its fine, and you can handle it. I should get going to."

"Okay. Come home soon, okay?"

"Can I bring Kairi?"

Another pause. "Kairi is the mother?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow, I never expected that..."

"Yeah, me neither."

"Well yes, she can come. I'll see you soon."

They both hung up, and Sora sighed in relief. He placed his forehead to the steering wheel for a moment, really taking everything in. This was too overwhelming, he didn't even know how he was handling it. Actually, he didn't even know how he'd made it this far. He;d thought for sure that he would pass out, or run away from all the excitement when Amaya was born, but somehow he'd made it thought.

And was he ever glad!

His thoughts grew joyful as he thought of his new family. It was now him, Kairi and Amaya... He liked the sound of that. With no further objections, he sped towards the hospital.

---

Kairi was overjoyed to see Sora, and greeted him with a gleeful hug. He couldn't help but wear a warm smile when he saw how beautiful she was holding Amaya. She was definately fir to be a mother.

Sora discussed with Kairi his conversation he'd had with his father, and she was very supportive.

"He seems like he'll be fine." She said, comforting him. "Don't worry too much about it."

"I'll try not to." He laughed, as they two of them entered the car. Until they got a car seat for the baby, Kairi would have to hold her.

She cooed and gurgled adorably, playing with Kairi's finger. The mother smiled brightly at the newborn, overjoyed, as she found she'd been in the past few days. Last week, she'd have never imagined things would turn out like this. She imagined what would have happened if Sora hadn't showed up at the grocery store, but quickly erased the thoughts from her mind. She didn't need to think about the 'what-ifs' anymore, all that mattered was that her and Sora were together, with a beautiful baby girl.

The drive to the hotel was a very comfortable silence. Amaya had fallen asleep, probably to the silent and calming vibrations of the car. Even though it was broad daylight, Kairi was feeling a little sleepy as well.

"Amaya's rubbing off on me." She chuckled, as they pulled into the hotel's parking lot. Sora looked at Kairi, who yawned, and laughed.

"Don't fall asleep on me, now." He smiled. "There'll be lots of time for that on the way home!"

A warm smile lightened up her pretty features. "Can't wait."

He opened the car door, but before closing it turned to Kairi. "You wait here, kay? I'll be five minutes." She nodded, and watched his retreating figure go around the corner and into the hotel. All he needed to do was checkout, so it wouldn't take long.

Kairi's cerulean eyes cast upon her sleeping child, giving her a very warm and fuzzy feeling. She loved every moment of it. Though it was hard, she looked from the child's face and onto the parking lot. She couldn't help but notice how eerily empty it was. Weren't parking lots usually filled with cars during the day?

She shrugged it off. It was probably just an unpopular place.

She yawned again, stretching out her legs. Amaya stirred a little, suddenly seeming unsettled. The distressed state of the baby soon went away, and she fell back into a peaceful slumber.

Click...

Kairi's head snapped up. "What was that?" She asked out loud. She waited, but the 'click' did not happen again. She laughed at herself for being silly.

Click...

She was getting a little freaked out now. She clenched Amaya tightly in her arms, hoping that Sora would come back soon. "Its just the car making noises." She told herself.

Bang!

"Okay and that, was not the car!" She looked outside, only to see a masked man banging on the car window. She screamed at the top of her lungs, abrubtly waking the baby. Amaya cried out, but Kairi had to deal with this first. She placed Amaya on Sora's seat and tried to lock the car door, but it was too late.

The man opened the door, and with more force than necessary, pulled her out of the car.

---

Sora excited the hotel, hands in his pockets. He was so happy; This had been the best week of his life. He walked a little ways, before he swore he heard a scream. A frown creased his brow, and recognizing the scream as Kairi's, he bolted around the corner, and what he saw shocked him.

There was a man in a black mask, holding a gun to her head.

The first thing he thought to do was run to the scene.

But that thought ended once the masked man noticed his presence only a meter away. Sora found himself locked with sickly familiar blue eyes.

"Don't move!" The man ordered. "Move, and she gets the bullet."

"What do you want from us?" Sora inquired cautiously. One wrong move, and he could possibly lose Kairi forever. Even thinking of this made his skin crawl, and he didn't want to believe that this was really happening.

"Where is he?" The man asked. Sora stared back at him with a confused gaze.

"Who?"

The man then removed his mask, only to reveal another truly shocking sight. That blond hair, those light blue eyes... Sora knew he recognized them.

Seifer.

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**Author's note: **Dun dun dunnnn! The return of Seifer. Yeah, I know you all expected it eventually XD. Find out what the hell he's doing in Radiant Garden next chap! And who is he looking for? :O

Hope you liked it (:

**Review please!**


	12. Roxas: HeroHeroine

**Note: **Hey everyone, quick update XD. Sorry its short!

**REviewwwwww please.**

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**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together._

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I won't try to philosophize  
I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes  
This is how I feel  
And it's so surreal  
I got a closet filled up to the brim  
With the ghosts of my past and the skeletons  
And I don't know why  
You'd even try  
But I won't lie

You caught me off guard  
Now I'm running and screaming

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine  
Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

**July 18th**

The doorbell rang, sending shivers up Roxas' spine. With no hesitation, the blond dropped everything he was doing and rushed down the stairs, opening the door with one swift motion. He knew who it would be.

"Naminé," He smiled warmly, and she gladly returned it.

"Hello." She greeted, that adorable smile of hers making him feel weak. "You ready to go?"

He quickly shoved on his shoes, then faced her and nodded. "Yep."

Naminé giggled, and the two of them left the house hand in hand. Roxas' only thoughts were how happy he was. Never in his life had he been so excited about something... And it wasn't where they were going, which was just to the park, it was that he was finally with Naminé. After all those painful, heartbreaking years his effort for her love had finally payed off.

But naturally, there was still a problem.

Yes, Roxas was with Naminé, but he was also with Olette. Naminé knew this, and of course she disapproved. She told Roxas to breakup with her right away, but he just didn't have the guts. He did care about Olette, and didn't want to hurt her feelings again... But he knew that was ignorant. He was hurting Olette every time she called, and he said he was 'busy' with other things.

But then he looked at Naminé, and no longer felt any guilt. In fact, when he was with her, he completely forgot about Olette.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Naminé asked, as the two of them walked towards the park.

Roxas looked at her and smiled, before shrugging. "Not sure." He answered. "Ice cream?"

Naminé giggled. "Alright, but you're paying."

He sighed. "Fiiiine." Roxas didn't mind paying an extra two bucks for Naminé... He'd pay an extra two hundred, if he had to.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He used his free hand to pull it out, assuming that it was Sora again. He had been texting him from Radiant Garden, asking him questions that he really didn't know the answer to.

But surprisingly, it was not from Sora, it was from Olette. He'd already told her that morning that he was busy, and couldn't hang out, so what did she want?

He checked the message right away, and it read: So you're busy, huh?

Roxas replied: Yes, sorry.

Within a few moments, she texted back. Oh yeah? What're you doing?

This was sounding like an interrogation in the works, so Roxas grew hesitant about answering. What if she knew he was with Naminé?

"Who is it?" Naminé asked, ending his chain of thought.

Roxas sighed. "Its Olette."

A small frown creased her brow, "What does she want?"

"She was just confirming that I'm busy today..."

Naminé stopped and exhaled. Roxas didn't let go of her hand, but did stop and face her. "When are you going to tell her?" She inquired.

Roxas found himself averting her eyes. "I uh... I dunno."

"Roxas... I love you, but if you don't do it soon then I can't officially be with you."

This caught his attention. "What? Why not?"

"Because! You'd be dating another woman, don't you get that?"

"Uh... Oh, right..."

"Its either me or her, please decide."

"Its obviously going to be you, Naminé."

"So then pick up the phone," She grabbed his hand that the phone, and moved it to his ear. "and call her up."

Roxas, once again, sighed. "Alright." He dialed in her number, which was on speed dial. It rang, and rang, and rang, until it finally went to voicemail. "She didn't pick up."

Naminé rolled her eyes. "Damn it, fine. Call her later?"

He nodded, and have her a reassuring smile. "Of course."

---

Sora was facing something that he never thought he'd have to. The love of his life, and mother of his child, at gunpoint with some crazy bastard who he never thought he'd see again.

"Seifer?" He asked, voice laced with confusion. "What are you--"

"Shut it." Seifer snapped. "Tell me where Roxas is, now."

Fuck... What do I do? Sora wondered. I better think of something quick... This could end badly. "I uh, I don't know." He lied. Seifer cocked the gun, and Kairi whimpered.

"Don't lie to me, Sora. I'll kill her."

"Don't do anything you'll regret." Sora said, trying to be calm. It wasn't working. His heart was racing and his palms were sweaty, he really didn't know what to do.

"I won't regret it." Seifer assured him. "Now, tell me where Roxas is or I'll kill her and the baby."

Sora's expression went grim with shock. Would he really do that? He couldn't take the chance. I'm sorry, Roxas... "He should be back home."

Seifer looked at Sora sternly, reading his expression to see if he was lying or not. After a moment of silent, he roughly threw Kairi to the ground, and with that, raced off.

Once the sociopath was out of sight, Sora ran his fastest to Kairi, skidding his knees on the ground and he landed on Kairi. He hugged her tightly, and she sobbed onto his shoulder.

"W-What is he doing here?" She stammered between cries, and Sora shook his head, stroking her hair.

"I don't know." He answered. "Are you alright?"

Kairi pulled away so she could look into his eyes. Her face was stained from tears and her eyes were glassy; he hated seeing her this way. Sora felt a burning hatred for Seifer that he had never felt before, not even when he'd found out that he'd slept with Selphie.

"I'm fine." She replied. "He didn't hurt me."

"Good. Where's the baby?"

"In the car..."

The two parents got to their feet, and walked over to the open car door. And thank god, Amaya was still there. She was crying terribly, but she was there, and alive at that. Sora sighed in relief.

"Lets just go home."

She nodded in agreement, getting into the car. She plucked Amaya from Sora's seat as her boyfriend entered the car, starting it right away.

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**Author's note: **Thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked it, even though its short.

**Review!**


	13. Xion: Shadow of the Day

**Author's note: **Hey everyone! Another quick update from Homely XD, I'm getting pretty into the writing. No more writers block for me, yay! Thanks so much for your wonderful reviews :D love you all!

**Review please! Much obliged (:.**

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**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together._

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In cards and flowers on your window  
Your friends all plead for you to stay

Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple  
Sometimes good bye's the only way.

**July 18th**

The room was vacant, nothing but the haze of smoke and broken bottles on the ground. Torn off clothing and cigarette buds, oh, and a bit of blood.

Xion was very familiar with this room, for she'd been in it many times. Though it wasn't her own bedroom, it was beginning to feel that way.

She lay in his bed, a familiar angsty feeling taking her over. She always felt this way the morning after, even though she was not fully awake. It was, however, a little different this time... She felt guilty. Had she not told Riku that she was going to quit drinking? Well yes, she did say that. And at the time, she meant it... But it wasn't long before she got the urges, which she easily gave into.

"You should get up," Hayner's voice sounded, startling her eyes open. She jolted up in the bed, and exhaled in relief when she met his bold brown eyes.

"Sorry." She laughed. Hayner simply shook his head and smirked, tossing Xion her clothing. She dressed herself quickly, and was practically out the door by the time she got her last sock on. This was a routine, of course. His parents would be home soon, so she couldn't stay.

"See ya later, babe." Hayner casually waved to her as she exited, and she slightly returned it, walking across his well-known lawn, in the direction or her home. The walk was a little long, but she didn't mind. She had lots to think about, as she always did.

Roughly four days ago, she had been reunited with some of her closest friends... Well, Riku and Kairi were the only ones she ever really got used to, and she was already good friends with Roxas. Either way, it was weird being with them all again. Especially Riku.

Xion was happy for him. He was keeping up with his band, he was still smart, and was going down a good path. She, on the other hand, felt pathetic compared to her ex-boyfriend. While he was off graduating high school (though he didn't actually graduate, for he didn't do his community service hours), she was partying, drinking, smoking whatever she could smoke, ect.

This summer was fun, but... She did have some regrets. And it wasn't nearly over.

Nobody knew that Xion was 'fooling around' with Hayner. She had been since school ended, and Hayner threw another party. No, they were not 'dating', it was more of a friends with benefits kind of deal. She constantly wondered if it was 'wrong', but then again, she didn't really care. She was having fun, and that was all that mattered.

It was at this point where she was thinking about experimenting with other things. She'd already tried alcohol (obviously, that was her main break), and marijuana. But she knew that there were better things out there, maybe not better for you, but better. As she walked, she couldn't help but smile. This could be fun...

She pulled out her phone and sent Hayner a text, asking him if he could get his hands on anything else. Xion was not shy, so this was no problem for her. Only moments later, Hayner replied.

_Yep. What'd you have in mind?_

She smirked as she read the text.

_Ecstasy._

Hayner replied and said that it would be no problem, and asked if she was busy tonight. She said no, and the plans were set.

_Can't wait._

---

Sora scoffed in frustration, closing his phone for what seemed like the billionth time that day. "He's not picking up." He told Kairi, who was cradling Amaya in her arms. She looked to Sora with worry in her eyes.

"Try texting him."

"I did that... He must have turned his phone off."

She looked a little panic-stricken, at the thought of her good friend being attacked by Seifer. "What should we do?"

Sora suppressed a sigh, not wanting to upset Kairi anymore than she was. "We'll keep on driving until we get there... We'll find him before Seifer does."

She hesitated. "O-Okay... I hope we won't be too late."

Sora's expression was stern, and Kairi could tell that he was serious. "We won't be." He flashed her a reassuring smile. "Trust me."

---

Roxas and Naminé had been enjoying their day together for about an hour. They'd gotten their ice cream (Roxas paying, of course), and were now strolling hand and hand through the park. There wasn't much silence between the two, and when there was, it was anything but awkward. Roxas was happy to know that she was still feeling fine after the crash, though his parents weren't happy when they found out about his trashed car. But at the moment, that didn't matter.

"Will you try calling Olette again?" Naminé inquired, taking Roxas a bit off guard. He'd completely forgotten about her... Again.

"Oh, right... Okay." Be pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. Right away, he got a message saying 'four missed calls' and 'two new messages'. He frowned, wondering who would have been trying so hard to get a hold of him. As he opened his inbox, he prayed that it wasn't Olette yelling at him...

Thankfully, it wasn't, it was Sora again. He said: Roxas? Do you have you phone? I need to talk to you right away. And the second one read: This is important, please reply.

"Sora needs me to call him." Roxas told Naminé, and she scowled at him.

"Is that just an excuse?"

"No, no! I'm serious!" He held up the phone, showing her the text message. She sighed and nodded, allowing him to call their friend. He dialed Sora's number, and the brunet picked up within seconds.

"Hello?" He said eagerly.

"Sora?"

"Roxas! Finally!"

"What's wrong?"

"Its Seifer."

Roxas' blue eyes widened with shock at the name he detested so much, and he could only wonder what that crazy bastard did this time.

"He somehow found Kairi and I in Radiant Garden... I'm sorry, but I had to tell him you were at home... He was going to kill Kairi."

The blond frowned in confusion. Was this for real? He wasn't even sure. "Are you serious?" He asked after a pause. Naminé noticed the distress in his voice, and looked to him with concern.

"Yeah." Sora replied. "We're coming back now but... I don't know how fast he'll get there. He was angry, Roxas, what did you do?"

"Nothing! I haven't seen or talked to him in months!" He remembered his last encounter with Seifer, when he'd caught the sicko trying to rape his own girlfriend, who, at the time was Naminé. Roxas had beaten Seifer up, and the cops had come and arrested him. That was a very frightening day for Naminé, he knew, so he never brought it up. He had actually never even heard from Seifer, until now, apparently.

"Do you think this is because of what happened?" Roxas asked Sora, referring to the events.

"When he... You know, hit Naminé?"

"Yeah."

"Probably. I don't know. The point is, he's after you... And he has a gun."

Roxas felt like his heart had just stopped. He choked on his words, fear taking over for both himself and Naminé. "A-A gun?" He stuttered, and Naminé's eyes flashed to him, wearing the same fear-stricken expression that Roxas had on.

"He was holding it to Kairi's head. I'm sure it was loaded..."

"B-But... What should I do?"

"I don't know... We'll be there in a day. We aren't stopping, so hopefully we'll get there before Seifer."

"Um, alright. Should I warn the police?"

"Yeah, I'd do that right now if I were you."

"O-Okay. Thanks, Sora."

"No problem. Good luck, and I'll see you soon."

"Bye." They both hung up, and Roxas faced Naminé. She looked as concerned as ever, wondering what on earth could have happened.

"What's going on?" She asked, taking a cautious step closer to the person who meant the most to her. Roxas hesitated. He didn't want to scare her, but she had a right to know. He briefly explained the situation, and Naminé was even more shocked than Roxas was.

"H-He's..." She swallowed, no words coming to her mouth. He had never seen her so scared, knowing that the man who haunted her dreams was coming for him... "No..." She whimpered, tears coming to her eyes. She threw herself onto Roxas, wrapping him in a tight hug. He was a little surprised, but hugged her back regardless.

"I'm sorry, Nami..."

"I-Its all my fault." She stammered. "He's going to try and kill you all because... Of me."

"Don't say such things." He rubbed the back of her head, holding her closely. "We'll go tell the police, alright? Everything will be fine."

"I'm so sorry." She cried. Roxas allowed her to weep into his shirt for a few moments, before they broke apart. He met her eyes, which were glossy from the tears.

"We have to tell the police." He explained. "There's no time to be waiting around."

She nodded in agreement. Though frightened, she knew that she couldn't just stand around and do nothing. Telling the police was the only thing her and Roxas could do, at a time like this.

---

It was around five o'clock when Xion arrived at Hayner's house, anxious to try what was in store. "Ecstasy..." She whispered to herself, as she rang the doorbell. She liked the way the word just rolled off her tongue. Hayner answered after a minute or two, eyes bloodshot and red. Xion rolled her eyes.

"I told you to wait for me." She chuckled, entering the house, which stunk of weed. Hayner laughed, closing the door.

"Its just weed, Xion. I saved the good stuff for you."

She smiled as they entered the living room. "Thats awfully generous of you." She joked.

"I know, I know..." Hayner sat down, Xion sitting close beside him. He handed her the rest of his joint, which she happily accepted. Her blue eyes watched eagerly as Hayner pulled out a few little bags. Each bag had a pink pill, with a rose on it. Xion smirked at the sight.

"We won't need all this." Hayner told her. "One pill is enough, for now anyways."

She nodded in understanding. "I see."

He met her eyes. "Excited?"

She giggled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for doing this, I'm eager to try."

He laughed. "Anything for you."

Hayner passed her one of the tiny pills, and popped one himself. Xion grinned and took it, swallowing it, no need to use water to help get it down. At first she felt normal, just very excited to get the effects of this drug. She felt like she'd been waiting for a long time, but before she knew it, couldn't even remember how she'd gotten there. She was feeling giddy and hyper, but naturally, was not bouncing off the walls. Hayner seemed fine.

The two of them weren't talking much, only trapped in their own thoughts and listening to the radio. Xion found herself feeling very light headed; Her mind was tired, but her body wanted to keep moving.

She didn't remember how, but her and Hayner ended up in his room, on the floor. At some point within the next few hours, they'd eaten a lot, had sex, and drank a ridiculous amount to gin. And at this point, Xion had no idea what was going on. That is, until she 'woke up' from her high and noticed Hayner sleeping. They were back in the living room, half naked, with the illegal drugs on the coffee table.

Xion was still highly under the influence, but she didn't really realize that. She eyed the pills, thinking only of how 'awesomely high' she'd be if she had just one more...

And Hayner was sleeping, he wouldn't even notice.

So, barely conscious, she took another pill and popped it in her mouth. After that, everything seemed to go black.

* * *

**Author's note: **Oh no :O Xion the druggie. Not really XD but you know. I'm trying to make hers & Riku's story a bit more interesting, I know that it wasn't that great.

Can anyone spot out who's going to die yet? Hint: Its gonna be someone! Sad, sad...

I'll try and update as soon as I can, probably within the next few days if I'm on a roll.

**Please review! I feel like I've lost a lot of reviewers D:**


	14. Kairi: Awake

**A/N: **Hi everyone, thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry if this chapter isn't very good, I'm not really pleased with it but I hope you like it anyways.

**Review please!**

**

* * *

**

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together._

_

* * *

_

Will you stay awake for me?  
I don't wanna miss anything  
I don't wanna miss anything  
I will share the air I breathe,  
I'll give you my heart on a string,  
I just don't wanna miss anything.

I'm trying real hard not to shake. I'm biting my tongue,  
but I'm feeling alive and with every breathe that I take,  
I feel like I've won. You're my key to survival.

**July 18th**

"The police are going to be keeping an eye on us."

Naminé sighed. Somehow, Roxas' words were not comforting. And though she tried to believe that they would be perfectly safe, she was still upset.

"Okay." She said, forcing a slight smile. Roxas could tell that she was still afraid; He knew her well enough to realize that much. But, he let it go. It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it.

"Lets do something else." He said, standing up. Her eyes danced to his, but only held for a moment. She looked to the floor, showing uncertainty.

"I kind of just want to stay here."

There was a long pause, "Alright." Roxas agreed, sitting back down beside her on his bed. "What should we do? Video games?"

She laughed a little, but shook her head. "No thanks... You go ahead. I just want to sleep." She crawled closer to the top of the bed and curled into a little ball, getting comfortable. She found it a little awkward sleeping on the bed her and Roxas had once had sex on, especially considering they hadn't even talked about doing it again. But regardless of that, she said nothing and closed her eyes.

Roxas nodded, understanding. This was tough for Naminé, and he knew that he needed to respect that. So, he made his way closer to her and lay down, keeping his eyes glued to the celling. There was a comfortable silence between the two, where both of them were lost in their thoughts. Roxas was thinking some happy thoughts, like how him and Naminé were finally together. She, however, just couldn't forget about Seifer. The man she'd lost her virginity to, spent everyday with, and most of all trusted had hurt her, scarring her physically and emotionally. And he was back, and looking for Roxas... This thought terrified her.

Roxas had barely won in the last fight that had happened between the two. Seifer was strong, always involved in many sports, while Roxas was more of a sit-at-home type guy. He loved reading, writing and video games. And no matter how much he worked out on Wii Fit, she knew that he could never be able to take him if Seifer was using all his force.

All thoughts were interrupted when Roxas' cell phone went off, starling the boy out of his reverie, and startling his girlfriend out of her day-nightmare. Quickly, he snatched the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Roxas?" It was Sora, again. Naminé relaxed her body and listened to Roxas' conversation, though she couldn't hear what Sora was saying. She soon got lost in her thoughts once again, unintentionally blocking everything from the outside world out. She forced herself to think happy thoughts; Anything involving Seifer was out of the question.

---

**July 19th**

Riku sat by her hospital bed, holding her pale, frozen and very delicate hand in his larger one. His aquamarine eyes lingered on her sleeping face, unable to remove them. God, how could I have ever let this go? He wondered, rubbing her palm. He fully realized now what he'd missed out on.

Back in the day, Xion wasn't what she was today. She was a different person; A better person. Riku couldn't decide who's fault it was; His, for breaking up with her, Kairi's for leaving, or hers for getting into this mess. After thinking for what seemed like hours, he realized that it was all of their faults.

When Riku broke up with her, he could tell that he'd hurt her. Xion had never had a real relationship, and back then it had meant a lot to her that he liked her for who she was, despite her odd reputation. And when Kairi had left, Xion had no one to talk to. She was left all alone, and presumably took comfort in other things. Things that if Riku had stayed with her, could have prevented.

Things like this.

And finally, it was Xion's own fault. She had chosen to do drugs, she'd chosen to drink, and she'd chosen to overdose on ecstasy the night before.

For the millionth time since he'd been called by the hospital, he felt tears stream down his face. "Why did you let this happen?" He asked her lifeless body, hoping for a response but not really expecting one. She'd been unconscious for a long time now; He was beginning to question whether she'd wake up or not. But just as he thought this dreadful thought, her body stirred slightly. His head snapped,

Dramatically slow, her eyes slowly fluttered open. And though they were surrounded by smeared makeup, they were just as beautiful as he'd always thought they were.

"Xion?" He asked, hope in his voice. A frown creased her brow, and she looked around the celling, before finally noticing Riku's presence. She met his eyes and smiled warmly.

"Riku..."

"Yeah, its me." He shuffled in his seat, sitting up properly. "How are you feeling?"

She ignored his question. "What happened?"

A sigh escaped his lips. "You overdosed, Xion. On ecstasy."

Few memories from the night before flooded into Xion's mind. These weren't painful memories; No regent passed her thoughts. She couldn't help but grin.

"Oh yeah."

"Why are you smiling?" He asked, concerned that she was either still high, or just delusional.

It quickly vanished, as she realized that Riku would not be happy. But she couldn't deny the truth; She enjoyed the night before. She didn't even remember passing out.

Riku realized that she wasn't going to answer, so he continued. "Are you alright? What exactly happened?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine. And I don't remember..."

He exhaled, just as the doctor entered the room.

"Oh, she's up!" He said, hurriedly walking over. He placed his stethoscope to her heart, and after listening for a moment nodded. "You seem fine. How are you feeling?"

She forced a smile at the man. "I'm alright. When can I go home?"

"Not long... We'll just have to ask you a few questions before. Once your energy has returned, just let me know."

She nodded, and watched as he exited the room. After a moment of silence, she looked at Riku. "What are you doing here?"

"The hospital called me." He told her. "I guess it still says under your records that I'm your boyfriend."

"I see... Well, I'm glad you came."

"Thanks. I'm glad you're okay."

---

Very late that day, Sora and Kairi pulled up to Roxas' house. They decided in the car that they would go there first, instead of Sora's house. Their friends safety was more important then his parents meeting Amaya.

They rung the doorbell, and after a few minutes a lethargic looking Roxas answered. "Hey guys, I'm glad you're here." He said, letting them in. Sora nodded,

"You haven't heard from Seifer?"

"No. Not yet, at least. The police are going to be keeping an eye on us." He laughed a little, "I thought you were him at first, so I had to look through the peep hole..."

Kairi and Sora chuckled. "Well, its us." She said, as they made their way upstairs. Kairi was breast feeding Amaya, but no one really noticed.

In Roxas' room, Naminé lay sleeping on the bed. None of them bothered to wake her, since she looked so peaceful and content. She would probably wake up to their voices, anyways. The three of them took a few minutes to catch up on the situation, before Naminé woke up and a full fledged meeting went underway. They all had a lot to talk about.

* * *

**Author's note: **Hope you liked it! Check out my poll XD, I ask which one of my KH stories you liked the most.

**Review please! I wouldn't be able to continue this story if it weren't for all of you :D**


	15. Riku: Breathe

* * *

**Giving it Away**

They found their reason to be together

* * *

My hands shake clasped with fear as you come near,  
To say goodnight, just like a dove.  
 A peaceful sign,  
To help us by as you come in.   
Let this begin.   
Stars fall like dust, our lips will touch.   
We speak too much.

**July 30th**

It had been well over a week, and there was still no word of Seifer. The police were forced to call off their duties, since the killer was no where in sight, and they assumed that he'd probably given up on his task. Naminé was still scared, but felt just a little better. She never slept alone, though. If she didn't sleep over at Roxas', he'd sleep over at hers. And of course, Roxas had still not broken up with Olette. He now told her that he was on vacation.

Sora, Kairi and Amaya were living in the guest house in Sora's backyard. His parents welcomed them in with opened arms, and his mother was especially pleased. She really connected with both Kairi and the baby, and actually had fun helping to take care of the child. Sora was looking for a job, and for them, everything seemed like it was going to be alright after all. After everything they'd been through together, they knew that they deserved to be happy. And they were!

This was also the case for Riku. He was very happy with his current life, for ever since he'd helped Xion get through her hard time in the hospital, the two had been hanging out a lot. No, they were not dating. Xion didn't exactly express the feelings he had for her, but then again, he hadn't mentioned anything about getting back together. The only problem for Riku was how secretive she was, often leaving just as quickly as she came. She always went somewhere on friday and saturday, and didn't tell him what she was doing. These two also kept in touch with the others, which was great.

It was a friday, that time of the week again. Riku called Xion, asking her to hangout. And naturally, she declined, saying she was 'busy'. Riku grew irritated.

"What are you doing?" He asked, hoping for an honest answer.

"Stuff," She casually replied. Not good enough... He thought. Currently, Riku was at the mall, in Paupu Dresses. And you're probably wondering what a guy like Riku would be doing in a place like that... Well, in all honesty he was going to buy Xion a dress. There was a party that his parents were holding the next day, and he wanted to surprise her by inviting her. So, he decided to forget about whatever she'd be doing that night.

"You busy tomorrow?"

"Uhm, I might be. Depends."

He laughed. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green. Why?"

He grew nervous, but ignored it. "Well, my parents are holding a party tomorrow night. Can you come?"

She chuckled a little. "Sure, I'll blow off my plans for that... But what's that got to do with my favorite color?"

"Weeeellll..."

"Come on, don't leave me hanging. What're you buying me?" He could sense the amusement in her voice, and couldn't help but smirk.

"I'll give you a hint. I'm in Paupu Dresses."

"Pfft, now I'll be surprised when I get it!" She exclaimed sarcastically, and he laughed.

"My bad. Well, you'll be surprised at how good it looks on you. Can I drop it off tonight?"

"Sure, I'll be at home before five."

"Okay, as long as you don't try it on!"

She giggled. "Promise. You'll be the first to see me."

"Alright, I've gotta pick it out. Talk to you tonight."

"Yep, see you!"

They hung up, and Riku continued his search. He was thoroughly satisfied with himself. She hadn't rejected him, and she was going to wear his dress... _This is going to be great._

* * *

**July 31st**

Riku stood before a full body mirror, adjusting the bow tie that was tied at the base of his neck. He fixed his silver-tinted hair and straightened his posture, until finally, he was pleased with his appearance. He hoped that Xion would be as well. He was excited to see her in the dress he'd purchased. It was pricey... five hundred dollars on the dot, so he prayed that she liked it as much as he did.

Riku excited his bedroom and walked down the long hallway to his staircase. He could already hear his parents guests arriving. This party was a classy one, for classy people like his parents. He breathed in one, long, hard breath before walking downstairs. Xion said that she would come around 9:30, and it was nearing that time. As each minute ticked by, he felt himself grow more and more nervous. Some of that momentarily melted away as he saw four of his closest friends, Sora, Kairi, Roxas and Naminé. Much to his surprise, baby Amaya was there as well. He smiled at them and waved.

"Hey, glad you guys could make it." He said, approaching.

"Dur, we wouldn't miss this!" Sora exclaimed, laughing. "Where's Xion?"

"She's coming." He told them.

"I heard about her accident." Kairi said. "Did she really overdose?"

He nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Thankfully the hospital called me... She turned out alright."

"I'm glad. Sora and I have been too busy to visit friends." The redhead explained, rocking Amaya a little in her arms so the child would drift into sleep. "I've been taking care of the baby, and Sora's looking for a job."

Riku laughed. "You, a job?"

"Thats what I said." Roxas laughed. Riku noticed his hand was intertwined with Naminé's, but made no comment. He knew that the two were officially dating.

"Anyways..." Sora chuckled, swiftly changing the subject. "Is Xion off all the bad crap now?"

He nodded. "Yep. She told me she's completely clean, even of alcohol. I know she said that she'd quit before, but this time I think she really means it. I'm proud of her."

"Awe, thats sweet." Kairi grinned warmly.

"Thanks." Riku said, blushing slightly. At that moment, he noticed a green blut from outside one of the large glass windows. The room they were in, the party room, was made almost entirely of glass. Outside you could see the very large and well taken care of lawn, a pool, and a gazebo, which was shoved off more to the side of the yard and near the back. The scene was lit up with brilliant bright lights.

"Anyone else see that?" He asked. Nobody responded.

"See what?" Sora was the first to ask.

"I thought..." He shook his head. "Never mind. It was just my imagination. You guys wanna go out to the clubhouse?"

"Clubhouse?" Naminé and Roxas asked simultaneously, and giggled at each other.

"Ah, the clubhouse." Sora mused. "So many memories there!"

"What clubhouse?" Naminé inquired, but nobody answered.

"I know. I haven't been out in a while." Riku told them.

"Yeah, lets do it." Kairi smiled. "I'd love to visit our old hangout."

"What clubhouse?" Roxas queried, growing irritated, just as his girlfriend was. Still, they were ignored.

"I think we loved that place almost as much as the river." Sora said through a thoughtful sigh.

"What clubhouse?" Naminé asked again. By now Roxas was sick of both him and Naminé being ignored, so he bellowed:

"WHAT CLUBHOUSE!?"

Everybody's heads snapped to the blonde couple, who looked flustered. Amaya awoke at that and began to cry. Kairi quickly hushed her back to sleep.

"Sorry." Sora laughed sheepishly. "When we were kids, Riku, Kairi and I were all best friends. We have a lot of great memories in this little fort we built way back in Riku's huge backyard."

"Ohh." Roxas and Naminé nodded understandingly, finally relieved that somebody had answered them. They all decided that yes, going to the clubhouse was a good idea.

The fort was deep into the backyard, where the lights from the yard barely reached it. It was a dinky house, clearly built out of materials found around the yard; Bark, wood and leaves. Sadly, not all of the friends could fit in, so they all lay down on the lush grass out front.

Everybody stared up at the clear sky, which was just being laced with stars. The group smiled warmly up at the sight, all caught up in their pleasant thoughts. And again, from the corner of his eye, Riku noticed something odd. It was something green, like a person. He then remembered; _Xion! _Maybe that was her, and he just wasn't there to greet her. He then felt horrible, and worried that she may be upset with him. Without a word, he got up and dashed towards the area where he'd seen the green blur, and stopped in the middle of an empty sector of his yard. He looked around, trying to spot her, but she was no where to be seen.

His aquamarine eyes wandered towards the house, where he could see through the glass doors and windows, a petit, raven haired girl in an emerald green dress. Xion was just arriving, and he sighed in relief. A thought occurred;_ If Xion is over there, then what was that green blur?_

But he was quick to forget about it. He ran his fastest to the house so he could properly greet his special guest. Perhaps tonight, he would tell her how he really felt.

* * *

**Author's note: **Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading & reviewing, I wouldn't have gotten this far without you all :D !

*****Go to my profile for the soundtrack for Giving it Away! There, you can listen to all of the songs used in his story online! :)*****

**Review please! :D**


	16. Naminé: Death and All His Friends

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_T__hey found their reason to be together._

* * *

No, I don't wanna battle from beginning to end;

I don't wanna cycle or recycle revenge;

I don't wanna follow death and all his friends.

Naminé watched Riku enter his house and greet Xion. A small smile tugged at her thin lips, she couldn't resist. She didn't know Riku or Xion that well, but for some reason she loved seeing the two of them together. Especially Riku, for he looked way too happy when his turquoise eyes fell upon her.

But as Naminé silently watched the scene unfold, she thought that she saw something move off in the distance of the yard. Alarmed, she looked to Roxas, who was having a little nap on the damp grass. Kairi and Sora were playing with Amaya not far off, and again, she grinned. She was safe, and there was nothing to worry about. Without another uncertain thought, she lay down beside Roxas and snuggled close to him. He didn't seem to notice. But just as she was starting to get comfortable, a loud crash startled Roxas out of his sleep. He went shooting up, taking Naminé with him. Kairi and Sora also noticed this noise, and they all looked over towards the house.

There, Xion was clearly barging away from Riku, and the noise had been from her slamming the door in his face. She looked angry, that was for sure. Also, she was charging towards the dark parts of the backyard, where no one would be able to see her.

"Wonder what happened..." Roxas said groggily through a yawn, and Naminé wondered herself as well.

"Xion, wait!" Riku called after her, running a little. He tried to grab her arm but she immediately pulled herself away.

"Get lost!" She barked, never looking back.

"Will you at least talk to me?" He asked, jogging to keep up.

"No."

"Why?"

"Piss off."

"Xion..."

She turned to him, eyes red with fury. At least, thats what Naminé thought. "Wouldja fuck off?" She demanded. "When I say NO I mean NO, okay!?"

Riku said nothing. Even in the darkness the sadness in his eyes was evident, but apparently, Xion didn't care. She simply walked into the darkness, no intention of coming back. Even though Riku felt hurt on many levels, he knew that he still had to follow her.

The others, who were sitting nearby, looked at each other. Their thoughts were clear through their expressions, and right away they got up and followed them into the darkness. Now, nothing but the pale moonlight was lighting their way, and a little bit of the lights from Riku's house. His backyard really was huge.

As they drew near, Naminé suddenly started to get a bad feeling. She held on to Roxas' hand, but that wasn't enough. Her gut was telling her to turn around and leave right then, but she was worried about Xion and Riku. What had happened between them in such a short amount of time? She really wanted to find out. And it appeared that nobody else was sensing anything off, so she decided that it would probably be fine. She was just being superstitious.

They saw Riku and Xion facing each other, and could hear them both shouting. As they grew closer they heard the harsh words that were being said.

"You always butt in to my business! Why don't you just leave me alone!?" Xion yelled.

"We're friends, Xion." Riku said, his voice at a reasonable volume. "I'm just concerned, you said you were stopping this stuff."

"I am NOT on drugs!"

He exhaled slowly. "Yes, you are."

"No I'm not."

"I can see it in your eyes, and I can hear it in your voice. I'm not stupid."

"I'm not on drugs."

"Is that all you can say?"

With that, she turned around. And as she turned to walk away, Riku grabbed her arm and twisted her towards him.

"Don't you know what you're doing to yourself?"

But as Xion's lips parted to respond, there was a loud bang. And the last thoughts he had were those of worry for Xion, and the word _gunshot _echoed in his mind.

* * *

Kairi gasped when she heard the gunshot from close by, and watched as Riku fell to the ground. Xion stood there, eyes popped open with horror and fear.

"What just happened." Roxas was the first to say, his voice stained with panic.

"I don't know." Sora answered, eyes wide with shock.

Naminé's lip trembled with fear, for both Riku, herself and the others. Who had shot that gun...? Only one name came to mind. She didn't dare think it... He couldn't possibly have been there...

"No... Not now." She stuttered under her breath, tears stinging her eyes. She'd never been so afraid before in her entire life... And she just couldn't bare it. She quickly grabbed onto Roxas.

"Naminé..." He said quietly.

"Lets go." She ordered. "We have to leave..." He tried to tug him in the opposite direction of Riku but he resisted.

"We can't just leave..." He said. "Thats just wrong. What if Riku's badly hurt?"

"Please..." She sputtered, beginning to cry. "I want to go now."

He looked at her sympathetically. "Naminé... No, we can't."

"We have to!" She attempted to drag him now, but he was much stronger than she.

"No. We're staying, I'm sorry but we have to..."

"But I--"

Her voice was cut off by yet another gunshot. Naminé instinctually ducked down and pulled Roxas with her. She was terrified now, going weak in the knees. She knew that it was him... _Seifer. _

"Is everyone okay?" Sora asked, holding tightly onto Kairi, who was clutching her baby with dear life.

"We're fine." Roxas said. They looked over to Xion, who stood in the exact same position she did when Riku fell.

"Come on then..." Sora said. "Slowly, lets go check on him..."

"N-No!" Naminé blurted out. "We can't... Its him! Its Seifer, I know it is."

"Naminé, it can't be him." Kairi said. "Its been weeks since he attacked me, and he left for here as soon as he was done with us. He would have attacked sooner."

"But what if he was just in hiding?" She suggested. "He could have been _waiting for this... _Waiting for the police to stop watching us! Waiting for us to be alone, maybe..."

"We have to see if Riku is okay." Sora announced, ignoring Naminé's previous statement. He grew frustrated when nobody replied. "Come on, people! This is Riku... I've known him my whole damn life. Kairi?"

"I want to help Riku, believe me I do but..." She sighed, and cradled Amaya in her arms. "I don't want to danger Amaya."

Sadly, Kairi was right. She could not risk the safety of their baby...

"Roxas, Naminé? Come with me?" He asked hopefully.

"N-No!" The tiny blonde shouted, grasping protectively onto Roxas' arm.

"I'll go." Roxas said, once again ignoring his girlfriend. This was a life or death situation for Riku, it was no time to be fooling around. He knew that very well.

"No!" Naminé practically screamed again. "P-Please don't! He... He was coming for you. He'll kill you!"

Roxas, through understanding Naminé perspective on the whole ordeal, grew annoyed. "Hold on." He said to Sora, and silently pulled Naminé a short distance away.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his expression showing complete seriousness. Naminé, on the other hand, was drenched in her own tears.

"Please..." She whined. "I can't lose you. Please don't go..."

Roxas hated seeing her this way, but he just _had _to go with Sora.

"Naminé... Riku could be dead over there! I don't have time to be wasting." He turned to leave, but she grabbed and hugged him.

"No!"

"Yes." He shoved her away, and before she could further bother him walked back over to Sora, leaving Naminé frightened and sobbing.

"Ay, Xion!" Sora called over to her, but she did not move. She appeared to be in shock. With no more objections, Roxas and Sora approached Riku's motionless body, only praying for the best.

* * *

**Author's note: **Whew, I'm glad I got that done! Hi everyone, thanks so much for all of your encouraging reviews :). I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I liked writing it ;D.

Oh oh, I have a new story called **Don't Panic. **S'about Roxas and Naminé, from Nam's POV this time. Check it out if you're interested ;).

**& check out the Giving it Away Soundtrack and let me know what you think of the songs!**

**Review please :)**


	17. Roxas: Face Down

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together._

* * *

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect  
every action in this world will bear a consequence  
If you wade around forever you will surely drown  
I see what's going down.

I see the way you go and say your right again,  
say your right again  
heed my lecture

**July 31st**

Riku's body was laying still on the ground, with Xion standing before it. She stared down at him wide eyed with shock, and was evidently horrified. Nothing would snap her out of her trance, not even Sora and Roxas, who were cautiously but quickly approaching.

Sora dove on his knees and landed beside Riku.

"He's not breathing." He said, his voice in panic. Roxas bent over and checked the pulse, but there was nothing.

"I think--" He began, but Sora cut him off.

"Don't say it."

Without another word, Sora turned Riku onto his back, where they could then see a visible bullet hole in Riku's shoulder. There was still blood pooling out of it, and Roxas, who was not very good with blood, cringed and looked away.

"W-What should we do?" He stuttered.

Sora had nothing to say. What was in front of them was clear; Riku was not alive. He couldn't have been... Not with a wound that severe. And the blood was just pouring out endlessly. If he had survived that fatal blow at all, it was too late now anyways.

"We have to stop the bleeding." Sora ordered, ripping off a piece of his dressy shirt. He carefully tried to block the blood flow, but his shirt was quickly drenched. He sighed in defeat. "Its no use." He said. "I think we lost him..."

"This is horrible..." Roxas stated.

"I-Its my fault."

They looked up to see Xion, eyes bloodshot and dripping with tears. She had her fists balled at her sides.

"Its not your fault." Sora told her, but he didn't sound so convincing.

"We have to call 911." Roxas said. "Now." With no hesitation he pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." Came a sickly familiar voice, followed by the _click _of a gun being cocked. Very slowly, the three turned their heads. And what they saw was frightening, expected and worrisome all at the same time. None other than Seifer stood before them, a gun pointed straight. Sora rose with caution, his cerulean eyes never leaving his old classmate. Roxas stared, eyes bulged with fear. At that moment, he regretted not listening to Naminé...

"She was right." He whispered under his breath. He found himself unable to move from fright, and he was terrified that Seifer might attack Naminé. She was too scared of him to be able to handle even seeing him again...

"Seifer." Sora said, keeping his voice as calm as he could, though it was still shaky. "Why did you do this..."

"Well," He casually began, "I didn't exactly mean to hit er, what's-his-face over there. I thought he was Roxas, but apparently not..."

"Get out of here." Roxas growled, anger taking over his emotions. "

"Pfft, don't even _try _to order me around. I'm the one with the gun."

_He got me there... _The blond thought, picking himself up patiently. He knew that one wrong move could cause Seifer to pull that trigger, and there would be more than one life lost that night.

* * *

"Who is that?" Kairi asked, squinting her eyes to try and see clearer. "He has... A gun?"

Naminé trembled with fear. She knew _exactly _who it was, yet she couldn't bring herself to utter his disturbing name.

Surprisingly, she was more scared for Roxas than she was for herself. She knew she had to do something... What if Seifer tried something? What if he pulled the trigger on that gun, murdering yet another one of her friends? And Roxas at that; She couldn't afford to let that happen. Imagining her life without him made her feel frightened and weak, so she would hate to know what that actually feels like.

Naminé sucked in her breath, hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. And with that, she ran.

"STOP!" She screamed, taking her venomous ex-boyfriend off guard. Just as he turned to see who was shouting, she found himself being tackled to the ground by a small frame. She landed on top of him and stuck her hand right in his face, blocking his eyes.

"Naminé?" Roxas asked. He didn't have time to stop and think; He dashed towards them and grabbed Seifer's gun right out of his firm grasp.

"Get the FUCK off me!" Seifer screeched, shoving Naminé off of him. She landed with a painful thud, and yelped.

"Don't move." Roxas ordered, cocking the gun, just as Seifer noticed that it was no longer in his possession. He bit his bottom lip, angered.

"You better not have just stolen my gun." He said, his voice brash and stern. He didn't look at Roxas, yet the blond felt intimidated by his very voice. Even when he was the one with the gun, Roxas still felt moderately weak.

"Don't move, or I'll shoot." Roxas demanded, trying to sound serious. And he was, the only thing was that he was nervous. Could he actually _shoot _someone? Even if it was Seifer, he didn't know if he could deal with the guilt of ending someone's life.

"Roxas," Sora started, walking up next to him. "Good job. Someone call the police!"

Kairi then ran over, Amaya wide awake and crying. The redhead was in too much of a panic to take care of her child's whining at the moment. "I'll call!" She shouted, taking out her phone with one hand, cradling the baby in the other.

As she dialed and waited, Seifer grew more and more angry. He felt himself going truly insane; _How on earth did that wimp Roxas get my gun? _It made him even more pissed knowing that he was losing to that guy-- Again.

"No..." He said out loud. "I won't let this happen."

And after that, everything happened so quickly. Seifer bolted to his feet and charged at Roxas, taking him down to the ground. Sora dove in with no second thoughts, as did Naminé. Seifer managed to get a few hard punches to Roxas' face, before someone got the gun again. This time, it was little Naminé who was in control.

"Get off him!" She screamed, kicking Seifer to get his attention. She trembled as she held the gun, pointing straight towards his head. "I-I'll shoot!" She stammered. Much to her surprise, Seifer merely _laughed _at this, as he slowly lifted himself off of Roxas, his hands held up.

"Naminé, Naminé..." He chuckled. "When will you learn?"

"Y-You're horrible." She replied. "You don't even deserve to live! Why shouldn't I pull this trigger right now?"

He laughed again, making her even more flustered than before. "I know you. You would never do that-- You're too nice. You couldn't _end someone's life, _just like that, now could you?"

She thought about it. Could she?

She then remembered how much Seifer had put her through. He was a horrible boyfriend, he punched her, tried to rape her, and so much more... Just the thought of him made her _cringe._

Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, as she aimed towards his chest. This alarmed Seifer, but he didn't show it. "The answer is yes." She said, and with that, there was one final gunshot.

* * *

**Author's note: **Hey everyone, thanks so much for reviewing! Sorry this chapter isn't very good, or long... The next one'll probably be much longer!

**Review please :)**


	18. Xion: What She Said

**Roxas: An update for your troubles? :)**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

_Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, as she aimed towards his chest. This alarmed Seifer, but he didn't show it. "The answer is yes." She said, and with that, there was one final gunshot._

_And only inches from where Seifer sat, Naminé pieced the ground beside him with the gun. She took a step closer and looked down at him, her eyes burning with a hatred only she would no._

_"The answer is yes." She said. "I could kill you, and I _would _kill you. But I'm _not_ you; I'm not a murderer."_

_And with that, it was all over_

* * *

Amongst the vending machines and year-old magazines  
In a place where we only say goodbye  
It stung like a violent wind that our memories depend  
On a faulty camera in our minds  
And I knew that you were a truth I would rather lose  
Than to have never lain beside at all  
And I looked around at all the eyes on the ground  
As the TV entertained itself

'Cause there's no comfort in the waiting room  
Just nervous pacers bracing for bad news  
And then the nurse comes 'round and everyone lift their heads  
But I'm thinking of what she said

That love is watching someone die

**August 1st**

With her hands clasped close together and sweaty, a very anxious Xion sat in the waiting room, trying to hold herself together. She wanted to cry; She could feel the tears coming, but for some reason she just wouldn't allow any to escape. She only sat, eyes focused entirely on the blank white wall in front of her.

Sora nervously paced back and forth across the room, and simply would not stop. He was so apprehensive, edgy, and worried for his childhood best friend, even though he already knew what the nurse was going to tell him when she came out. He just wouldn't let himself believe it.

"He can't be dead." He said under his breath, still keeping up his steady pacing. "Riku's a fighter, he has to have _some _win left in him..."

"Sora..." Kairi said, standing beside him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, causing him to finally stop moving. Sora looked at her with sad eyes as she pulled him into a gentle hug.

Xion watched her comforting him, and realized how much she really needed Riku at that moment. Who was going to be the one to comfort her now? As if she ever had anyone other than him...

And that's when she really started to regret her decisions. _I just can't believe this is happening..._

They'd already been waiting for what seemed like eternity, from the moment the police arrived and arrested Seifer, to then, in which the clock read exactly 4:00 am. Xion had kept her exact stance the whole time, so many thoughts and emotions rushing through her mind, it pained her. She felt this certain empty, choked up feeling as if a very large part of her had been stolen. And maybe, just maybe that was true. She never imagined that his death would be the thing that made her realize how much she really loved him...

"I hope everything will be fine..." Naminé said solemnly, resting her head on Roxas' shoulder. It wasn't long after that before a nurse, her expression depressed and unfortunate, walked into the room. Thick silence filled the little room, as everyone took it all in. It was evident by her expression what was already clear...

"I'm sorry." The nurse said. Instantly, Kairi broke out into tears and latched herself onto Sora, who hugged her tightly back, tears of his own streaming down his cheeks. Naminé silently sobbed, and Roxas held her close. Xion, on the other hand, merely stared, wide eyed at that blank white wall. Her eyes, now glassy with tears read little expression at all; Only shock was clear.

She'd had so many hours to think about it, but suddenly, she felt as though she didn't have enough time at all. And it was all downhill from there...

* * *

By the time they'd left the hospital, everybody really just wanted to go home. Kairi wanted to be with Amaya, who Sora's parents had come and picked up, but she knew she couldn't. The police had to question all of them about what had happened, so they were all on their way to the police station.

Kairi went first for the interrogation, and could hardly contain her sadness, but she did tell the truth. She explained everything that she saw with complete detail.

Sora, Roxas and Naminé went after, and finally, Xion was last. She hadn't said a single word to anyone since they'd been given the terrible news earlier.

Xion entered the small, dark room, where there were two police officers sitting at one side of a little metal table. Xion, with no hesitation took the empty stool on the other side.

"Xion, right?" One officer asked. They were both middle aged men, one with mustache, one without. She weakly nodded in reply. "I'm Officer Peterson," The one with the mustache introduced, "and this is Officer Parker. Now, I'm sure you already know, roughly, how this is going to work. We need you to tell us everything that you saw last night, every detail to a T."

Xion nodded again, and Officer Parker took out a little recorder. He pressed the button, and Officer Peterson began the interrogation.

"So, Xion, how old are you?"

"Seventeen." She peeped.

"And, you were the girlfriend of the victim?"

She nodded. "Basically."

"What do you mean by 'basically'? Please, try not to be vague."

"Oh right..." She paused, and could tell that this was going to be very hard to talk about. Hell, it was hard to even think about... "Well... Technically, we weren't 'together' when it... Happened. But, we're very close, you see... And we'd dated in the past. The only problem was..." She thought for a moment. "Hm, I guess the only problem was me."

"And why is that?" He asked, and Xion couldn't help but scowl at him.

"I don't see how this is relevant." She muttered.

"Please cooperate." Officer Peterson instructed. "We have to know your connected to the victim."

"Well there. I just told you."

"Fine then. So, you say you were _not _dating, but had a soft of 'thing', yes?" She nodded. "Alright then. A 'lover' of the victim, we'd call you. So, what exactly happened last night? I need you to explain everything from the moment Riku got shot, to everything after that."

"I... I don't remember." She stuttered nervously.

He furrowed his thick eyebrows in annoyance. "Don't be difficult. Your friends cooperated."

"If you already know what happened from them, why do you need to interrogate me?" Xion asked, irritated. Apparently, they couldn't see how hard this was for her.

"Because we need to make sure that you all say the same story. We already have our murderer, but he hasn't confessed to the crime."

"Well I saw him shoot Riku. Nobody else had a gun."

"Did you actually see him?"

Xion hesitated. "Well, no, not exactly but... Riku and me were talking, and then out of no where there's a gun shot, and two seconds later Riku is dead on the ground."

"So you didn't see him pull the trigger."

"Not technically."

"Alright," He continued, "Good, so tell me what happened next."

She sighed, feeling defeated. She really didn't want to talk about it. "Okay, fine... Everything?"

He nodded. "Everything you remember."

"Okay. After that, I... Well I didn't do anything. I didn't know what to do. I just stood there and waited for the others to come over because I was so shocked, I couldn't even move. Sora and Roxas, who were nearby with Kairi and Naminé, rushed over to his aid, while I simply watched. I remember, Roxas took out his phone and went to dial 911, but that's when Seifer showed up. He pointed the gun at Roxas, threatening him. They talked for a bit, I guess, and then Naminé pounced at Seifer, taking him to the ground. Roxas took the gun, but Seifer retaliated. He attacked Roxas for the gun, punched him in the face a few times, I think, but then Naminé somehow ended up with the gun. And then someone called the police, and it was over." She finished and exhaled, relieved. That was all she knew and that was all she would tell. "Thats it."

After her brief but informative explanation, Officer Peterson nodded. "Alright. Sounds legit. You may go meet with your friends in the waiting room now, we need to talk to all of you together."

Xion nodded, and exited the room.

* * *

"I hope this all gets sorted out soon." Kairi said wishfully, resting her head on Sora's shoulder as they sat in the waiting room. This was the second one they'd been forced to wait in that day, and it was getting very stressful.

"We all hope so." Sora said, nodding in agreement. "But I still just can't believe it. Riku, of all people?"

She sighed. "I know, it's unbelievable. So surreal... And poor Xion hasn't even said a word since we found out."

"Yeah, she must be devastated." His eyes wandered over to the door. "I wonder how she's doing in there..."

But before Kairi had time to reply, Xion herself walked out of the room, her expression clear with depression. Very silently, she aimlessly wandered in and sat down in an empty chair near Naminé. There were many minutes of Silence, before Kairi just had to ask.

"How did it go, Xion?" She inquired.

Xion met her eyes for a moment, before shaking her head sadly. "Fine, I guess."

"That's good." She smiled slightly, but it didn't fit with her mood.

"When are we allowed to leave?" Roxas was the first to ask, slinging his arm held securely over an upset Naminé's shoulder in a comforting way.

"Soon, I hope." Sora said. "I just want to go home and sleep... It seems like forever since I've been in my bed."

Everybody, even Xion, nodded in agreement.

"The Officer told me that they needed to have a word with all of us together." Xion told them. "I hope after that they let us leave..."

"Yes, you may leave after this." Officer Peterson announced, entering the room. All of the teenagers instantly quieted down, and gave him their full attention. Him and his partner walked to the center of the small room, so they could speak to everyone. "There will be a trial held next week." He explained. "Since the aggressor, Seifer, has not and will not confess to the crime, we need to determine if he truly is guilty in the court of law. You are all witnesses, so you'll have to attend. Be prepared to take the stand." He looked at everyone's very serious expressions, before nodding. "We'll get back to you with more information. You may go now."

The Officers turned and left, leaving the five friends alone once again.

"A trial?" Naminé asked, flustered. "We're going to court?"

"I really don't want to have to explain all of that again..." Sora groaned. "But to put that scum bag in jail, I guess we're all going to have to."

"Looks that way." Roxas nodded.

That day's events had been beyond tough. It was hard to accept the fact that one of their friends had actually_ died_... And the thought scared them all. They were exhausted and weak from being up for so long with no sleep, little water and no food. So they went their separate ways, but all knew that it wouldn't be long before they were to be reunited again-- Only this time, in court.

* * *

**Author's note: **:D yaaay! I finally updated ahaha (:. I've been on a roll with my KH stories here, probably because I played & finished 358/2 Days the other day, and LOVED it ;D. I've had lotsa motivation, and it's possible I may start another story soon. But before I do that, I want to at least try to finish some of my other ones.

Look for updates from **Don't Panic, The Sun & The Moon, **and maybe even **I'll Meet You There. **And this story, of course.

Thanks very much for the reviews on the previous chapter! You're all great, and sorry if I don't always reply. I try to!

**Disclaimer: ** I dun't own 'What Sarah Said' by Death Cab! Btw, in the lyrics shown in this, it says 'I'm thinking of what she said'. That because I changed it from 'Sarah' to 'she', because it just doesn't make sense for this story :P.

**Please REVIEW! Oh, and happy 2010, this year shall be grand. :)**

(What will Kanye do next? :o)


	19. Riku: Adam's Song

**Author's note: **SO APPARENTLY I LOST 80 PERCENT OF MY REVIEWERS.

* * *

**Giving it Away**

___They found their reason to be together_

* * *

**I never thought** **I'd ****die alone.**  
**I laughed the loudest**, **who'd have known.**  
I traced the cord back to the wall,  
No wonder it was never plugged in at all.  
**I took my time**,** I hurried up.**  
**The choice was mine**, **I didn't think enough.**  
I'm too depressed, to go on.  
_You'll be sorry when I'm gone._

I never conquered, **rarely came.**  
_16 just held such better days._  
Days **when I still felt alive.**  
We couldn't wait to get outside,  
The world was wide, **too late to try.**  
The tour was over, we'd survived.  
**I couldn't wait till I got home,**  
_To pass the time in my room alone._

_Gunshot._

So many thoughts are running through my mind as I hear that fateful sound. Who knew it would be _me _to go?

I can hear them talking but I really can't see them. I can't feel them, but I want to. I'm in so much pain, I can't even feel the pain anymore-- And I think, _if only. _I want to say goodbye but I know I can't, because I'm lucky I'm still alive right now.

Or am I unlucky?

Would I rather just die instantly, and save myself the pain?

I can feel myself slowly dying, but somehow it feels like it will never end. Like I'm trapped; No way out.

Although I can't open my eyes, I think I know what's going on. I'm laying on the ground, completely motionless and nobody is near me. I can't help but wonder why they aren't helping me. Even if they aren't... I'm going to miss them all. Sora and Kairi, my best friends... I'd hate for them to have to see me like this.

"Xion!" Someone shouts. Just the sound of her name makes my heart skip a beat, bringing me even closer to death. Its right around the corner now-- I can feel it. Its a strange feeling, one that you'd think would be scary, but really isn't. Because I know that I'll be gone soon, and it won't even matter. It's not like I'm going to be around to think about how much it _hurts _to die. I think Xion is standing close to me but she must be too shocked to move. I can hear her shallow breaths and imagine what her expression might be.

I desperately want to muster up some strength-- Any strength because this is my last chance. If I don't tell her how I feel now, she'll never know. I don't even know if it matters anymore...

The only thing that scares me about dying is leaving Xion on her own. I know how defenseless she can be, and how little self control she has. I think I'm the only one who can help her get over this addiction of hers, and what really makes me sad as how I know I'm not going to be around to be there for her. Is it wrong for me to feel bad about leaving her?

I feel a pang of harsh, harsh pain hit my heart and I know that I don't have much time left. Even if it shortens whatever life I have in me, I _have _to tell her. I have to.

"Sh..." I mutter. "X-Xion." I can't tell if she can even hear me, but its worth a shot. "Xion... I..." I can't say it. It won't come out... So I manage to sigh. "Take care of yourself." I say, as loud as my weak voice will let me.

Everything is fading now. All of my memories, thoughts, visions; Dying, just like I am. I regret not being able to tell her. But a very small, almost insignificant smile crosses my lips as I hope that my words were enough. It's all I ever wanted.

My last thought is of her, smiling up at me as I play on stage, that very first time she ever went to one of my shows. My last thought is of how much I love her.

I never conquered, rarely came.  
Tomorrow holds such better days.  
Days when I can still feel alive,  
When I can't wait to get outside,  
The world is wide, the time goes by.  
The tour is over, I'd survived.  
I can't wait till I get home,  
To pass the time in my room alone.

* * *

**Author's note: **Poor Riku. I can't believe I actually killed him off...:( siggghh. I really miss writing in first person. I know I didn't exactly write in this style in WSFA, but still. I miss it. And I wanted you all to know Riku's last thoughts, and his actual last words. Well I hope you enjoyed it, it's really just a small lil filler chap.

I SHOULD be updating soon. Within the next few weeks but it depends on how many reviews I get. Its a huge stab at my self esteem when people stop reviewing; It seriously makes me wonder where I went wrong... Really, of over **60 **people who have this story on their alerts,** six **reviewed. **SIX. **To those six, thankyou very much, you don't know how much I appreciate it :).

**PLEASE review if you're still reading this story.**


	20. Sora: How to Save a Life

**:D**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

Step one: you say 'we need to talk'  
He walks, you say 'sit down, it's just a talk'  
He smiles politely back at you,  
You stare politely right on through.  
Some sort of window to your right,  
As he goes left and you stay right.  
Between the lines of fear and blame,  
You begin to wonder why you came.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend.  
Somewhere along in the bitterness.  
And I would have stayed up with you all night,  
Had I known how to save a life.

**August 6th**

"The funeral is tomorrow." Kairi sighed, as she fed Amaya from a baby bottle.

"Yeah..." Sora nodded, his eyes glued to his feet on the ground. They wandered towards his adorable baby girl, who cooed lovingly as Kairi fed her. Sora smiled sadly. "I wish she'd known him."

Kairi let out a small laugh. "She would have loved him."

He exhaled, laying his back down on his and Kairi's bed, his feet still on the ground. "Riku hardly got to see her. I don't think he ever even got to hold her..."

"You're right, he didn't..." She cradled Amaya in her arms, and watched as the baby drifted into sleep. Sora couldn't help but allow a few tears to escape.

"Its such a shame."

Kairi nodded in agreement, feeling a rush of sadness come through. She had been feeling this way every time she thought of Riku, and all of the good times they'd had when they were younger. "I wish we'd never grown apart from him." She said, tears falling down her pale cheeks. She got up and put Amaya in her crib so she could go and lay beside Sora. She rested her head on his chest.

"Me too. I wish I hadn't been such a jerk..." He let out a long, deep sigh. "You know, I don't think I talked to him once in grades nine and ten."

"Me neither." She said. "Maybe the odd words, but really, did either of us ever really talk to him?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Why?" More and more tears began to fall down Kairi's cheeks. The more they talked about it, the more sorrowful the two of them felt. Sora didn't bother holding back his tears.

"I don't know." He admitted. "Its just... Riku was always different. He was so much more down to earth, and he really didn't give a shit what people thought about him. And he was so smart and always conscious of what he was doing. I, on the other hand, was cocky, stupid, selfish, lazy and just--"

"Stop." Kairi cut him off. "I hate hearing you talk about yourself like that..."

"But Kairi, it's true." He acknowledged. "Really, I was. I went as far as dating _Selphie..."_

"You've made some bad decisions but you've always been a good person. Trust me, I didn't fall in love with you for no reason."

He chuckled good naturedly. "I guess you're right. I never really _meant _to be an ass... I just was. I thought high school was _about _going to parties, drinking, getting girlfriends-- All that crap. I know better now."

"I know you do." She smiled up at him, and pecked him lightly on the lips before returning to the spot on his chest, where her head seemed to always fit perfectly.

"You were always a good girl, though, Kairi." He teased, receiving a playful smack. "What? You were!"

"Kinda." She giggled.

"Do explain." He said, a sly grin crossing his lips.

"I do trust you a lot, Sora." She told him. "So, I _guess _I can let you in on my crappy days of high school."

"Well I'm glad you can trust me with that." He joked. "Anyways, go on..."

She sighed. "Well, to be honest... I don't know if you knew this, but... I always loved you."

His head instantly snapped to her. "Really?" He asked, shocked. She smiled warmly and nodded.

"Yep. Always."

"Even when we were little?"

"Well, maybe not back then... That's different." She thought for a moment. "I was waaaay to young to even think about love. I guess it was when we were in grades seven and eight, I really fell for you. And I've liked you ever since."

Sora smiled cockily, in a joking way, of course, and kissed her lightly. "I wish you'd told me. I must admit... I did think about you like that sometimes."

"Really?" She inquired, and squinted her eyes suspiciously at him. "You're just saying that, aren't you?"

He chortled softly. "No way! I seriously did. I thought that you wouldn't be interested because you were so smart, and had such a bright future... While I was, well you know..." She smacked him on the chest, taking him off guard

"NOW I know!" She exclaimed, pouting playfully.

"NOW I know!" He mocked, only getting yet another joking smack. "Anywaaays," He continued in a singsong voice, "Why was liking me so crappy? I'm sad now."

"I'm sure you are." She muttered through a giggle. "And it wasn't that part that was crappy. It was that I thought I had no chance in hell of _ever _getting with you. Because you dated girls like Selphie, and I just wasn't like her, no matter how close of friends the two of us were."

"Aww... I feel bad now." He said. "But lets not change the subject. Continue?"

She smirked. "Fine... I was just really, I dunno, socially awkward. I saw Selphie, who was so outgoing and popular, and even Naminé I was jealous of. I just wanted to be the right girl for you, the whole time, and I was constantly trying to be that girl." She explained. "Somehow, it never worked out. I didn't have the guts to go to any parties Selphie invited me to, and I also wouldn't leave the house in anything shorter than my mid-thigh."

"Aw Kairi--"

"Nope, I'm not finished." She cut him off. "I know that you're not that shallow. And you weren't even that shallow back then, were you?" He shook his head. "But it wasn't about shallowness. I just thought you'd notice me if I dressed and acted like Selphie... And that one night, you know, _the one, _I finally let loose. I was so proud of myself, until the next morning. I woke up and I just lost all courage. How could I face you?"

"So thats why you left."

She nodded. "Yeah. I remember thinking that you'd be pissed off or unimpressed or something..."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't have been. Shocked, maybe, but never angry."

She met his eyes and smiled. "I know. But hey, lets just forget about it. I guess we both know the truth now."

He nodded with a charming, goofy 'Sora' grin. "Yep! And I'm happy we do. But I really had no idea you were insecure, Kairi. You always seemed to sure of yourself. Well, until what happened... But yeah."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well I wasn't really. I hated being 'bookish' and 'smart'. Thank god I know better now, eh?"

"Haha, yeah. We've both grown up considerably."

"Mhm, we have, a lot. At least we were friends with Riku again when he..." She hesitated, really hating the word. "Died."

"Yeah... At least he knew that we'd grown up."

She nodded in agreement, snuggling closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her. The two lay in silence, thinking of Riku and everything they'd discussed, and what was going to happen tomorrow. Riku's funeral was certainly not going to be an easy thing for either of them. As hard as it was for Kairi, she couldn't help but imagine how much harder it was for Sora. The bond him and Riku had experienced was far greater than hers with him; The bonds of true best friends. Riku had known Sora since he was born, whereas Kairi had joined the party later on in life. The more Sora thought about these ties, the more he silently cried.

Very slowly, both of them drifted off into a deep, comfortable sleep, in which Sora's dreams were soon all he could think about.

* * *

_Riku had called Sora, earlier that fateful day. One phone call had quickly lead to Sora leaving Kairi and Amaya, only for half of an hour, to go over to Riku's house and talk. His childhood friend was ecstatic about something, and Sora was more than willing to hear what was on his mind. _

_"My rents are having their annual party tonight, and I want you, Kairi and them to come."_

_Sora had smiled and nodded energetically. "Of course! Sounds like fun. There _will _be free food though, right?_

_Riku chuckled and nodded. "Of course, Sora. Do you think I'd even bother inviting you if there wasn't?"_

_"You know me too well." Sora laughed wholeheartedly. "So I'll tell Kairi, Roxas, and Naminé?"_

_He nodded. "Yep. Roxas and Naminé are beginning to grow on me, y'know?"_

_"I agree, those two are pretty great once you get to know them."_

_"For sure. Oh, and feel free to bring Amaya as well. We've hardly been introduced!"_

_"Of course!" Sora grinned. "She'd love to come."_

_"Haha, alright. But that's not really why I invited you here today," Riku explained, and Sora nodded, showing him that he had his attention, "It's about Xion, actually."_

_"Oh yeah? What happened?" A look of concern crossed his features. "She isn't on drugs again, is she?"_

_"Nah, I'm pretty sure she's clean. After that whole 'incident' she's been a lot better."_

_"Well that's good to hear."_

_"Yeah. Anyways, I really, really needed someone's advice. Normally, I'd go to someone y'know," He smirked, "smart, but you'll do."_

_"Hey, that's no fair." Sora pouted, and Riku laughed._

_"I'm only kidding."_

_"I know I know. Go on!"_

_Riku smiled and continued."Her and I have been spending a lot of time together ever since, and needless to say, I like her again. A lot."_

_"Awww." Sora cooed jokingly, receiving a cold glare from his best friend._

_"Ignoring that..." He went on, "I wanna tell her tonight."_

_"Okay, then go for it."_

_"You think I actually should?"_

_The spikey haired teenager nodded thoughtfully. "Of course. I think that if you do like her, she should know. I can see you two getting back together."_

_Riku smiled genuinely. "You really think so?"_

_He nodded. "Uh-huh."_

_"Alright, maybe I will then."_

_"Good! But with that said, I can't really stay." Sora got up from the couch he was sitting on, "Kairi is probably waiting for me, and I have to let everyone know about tonight."_

_"Okay, thanks, Sora."_

_"Anytime."_

_They waved to each other, before Sora left. He smiled to himself as he walked down Riku's driveway, happy for his best friend. He hoped that the night would go well for Riku, and for everyone else._

_Naturally, nobody could predict what was actually going to occur._

* * *

**Author's note: **I told you I'd update quick if more people review :D :D. And thanks so much! I REALLY appreciate it. If I keep getting amazing reviews like that, then this story will be over in no time! Which is sad, but all I mean to say is that I can update a lot quicker when I have the proper motivation. So yay!

Btw, I'm taking **requests **for stories! Lately I've been really into doing small side projects, but I'm not exactly in love with all of my ideas. So, request a story, any pairing (I might even do yaoi, if you REALLY want me to) and I shall write it for you.

**Review please! :D**


	21. Xion: Slipped Away

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

I miss you, miss you so bad

I don't forget you, oh it's so sad  
I hope you can hear me,  
I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away  
Was the day,  
I found it won't be the same

I didn't get around to kiss you  
Goodbye on the hand  
I wish that I could see you again  
I know that I can't

**August 7th**

"Naminé, are you ready?" Roxas asked, knocking on her door. On the other side he could hear here crying to herself, and sighed. She'd been crying a lot ever since Riku's death-- A _lot. _"I'm coming in." He told her, slowly opening the door. And sure enough, there she was, looking like a complete wreck.

"I'm not ready yet." She whimpered, making an attempt to shoo him away with her hand. Obviously, Roxas didn't listen. Instead, he walked over to her as she sat on her bed, and sat down next to her.

"Naminé, the funeral is starting in twenty minutes." He said, placing a comforting hang on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off as she stood up.

"I don't think I can do it."

He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples with his index fingers. She was driving him insane, what with her constant crying and stubbornness. Roxas did understand-- She was upset. And evidently, he was too, but she was getting ridiculous. For the past week, all she did was whine and cry, literally, and she just wouldn't listen to him when he tried to comfort her.

"Naminé, please." He said after a long pause, trying to sound reasonable. "We have to. Riku would want us there."

"Don't say that!" She exclaimed, turning to him angrily. The frustration was clear in her flustered expression. "How could you even say that!?"

Roxas' eyes widened a little in surprise. "I-I'm sorry." He stammered. She stared at him blankly, her lip trembling, and he watched as she broke down right in front of him. She fell to her knees, crying in hysterics. As fast as he could, Roxas rushed to her. "Naminé, it's okay." He tried to comfort, but she only grew worse. He kept on saying it, but she only hyperventilated more and just wouldn't stop crying-- She _couldn't _stop crying.

"Calm _down_!" Roxas shouted, no, _yelled_, maybe just a little too loud, after things were getting out of hand. HEr head snapped up immediately, and she stared at him, her eyes just as shocked as his were. _Did I seriously just yell at her? _He asked himself, instantly regretting it. He hadn't meant anything by it, really, he just wanted her to stop... Slowly, Roxas rose to his feet, his eyes still locked on hers, which were full of emotion; Shock, confusion, and even fear. He felt terrible for making her feel that way, knowing that she was sensitive to getting yelled at. Ever since Seifer...

He then shook his head, his azure eyes shut.

"R-Roxas..." She peeped, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her cardigan. She stood up, and faced her back towards him. "I'm ready to go now."

* * *

The drive to the funeral home was long, quiet and awkward for Roxas and Naminé, both of them silently thinking about what had happened. Naminé couldn't deny that she was mad at Roxas for yelling at her-- She'd taken it as an act on insensitivity. And in her eyes, he honestly _was _insensitive. He hadn't even broken up with Olette yet.

The mood surrounding the cemetery gave off the most hideous of feelings. Just the entire air around it instantly made people depressed; Especially Naminé. She wanted to breakdown again, right there and then, as she approached the building, but she didn't. She managed to control herself; She'd have plenty of time to cry later on.

Sora and Kairi were surprised when they saw Naminé and Roxas approaching, distanced form each other and not holding hands. The two exchanged glances, before joining with their blonde friends.

"Hey, guys." Sora said, smiling. It wasn't a happy smile, really, more of a sad one.

"Hi." Roxas said blankly, while Naminé said nothing.

"We haven't been to see him yet." Kairi told them. "We were waiting for you and Xion to get here."

Roxas nodded. "I see."

With that, they continued into the building. There were many guests there, most of them relatives and friends of the family. But there were also others there, such as classmates from school. Olette, Tidus and Selphie were among these few that showed up. Kairi eyed Selphie with disgust, wondering why she was showing up for Riku's memorial. As soon as the ex-freind spotted her, holding Amaya, she stared in shock.

It seemed like forever since the two had last seen each other.

But Kairi didn't even make eye contact with her, not for a second. Selphie, possibly, was Kairi's second least favorite person-- Next to Seifer.

Olette didn't say anything to Roxas, although he could tell that she knew he was there. And with Naminé, too. She would send him shy, upsetting looking glances, but he had too much on his mind to bother with her.

* * *

Riku's coffin lay at the front of the room, decorated beautifully with flowers and ribbons. Ironic, really, how they would decorate it so well, only to bury it in the ground. Inside of it, surrounding by the finest white pillows, he could be seen.

There he lay, more peacefully than anyone had ever seen him. In front of the coffin, stood Xion.

"Riku..." She uttered, tears filling her already glassy eyes. She hated to see him like this, yet somehow, she couldn't move her eyes from his sleeping face. "I'm so sorry." She cried, placing a hand on his cold, lifeless body. It felt strange, really. But it didn't feel right.

When Xion looked at him, she just couldn't imagine that he was dead. She wanted to feel his once warm hands clasped in hers-- But she knew she couldn't. The tears wouldn't stop, but she didn't care. Not here, not anymore. These were her true, final moments with Riku, even if he wasn't actually around to spend them with her.

"I will take care of myself." She sobbed, recalling his final words to her. "I-I promise."

She regretted taking drugs before his party _so much. _More than anything she'd ever done. She wished that she could go back, back to Hayner's house before the party, back and decline his offer. No, she _prayed _she prayed that she would open her eyes, and Riku would be alive once again. He would be there to hold her, touch her, and be with her forever. The more she reminded herself that he was _gone, _the less she could accept it.

One final time, she closed her eyes, so tightly as she prayed: _Please, please bring him back. _And slowly, dramatically, reopened them. To her highest disappointment, she was still in the exact same place she was before.

Staring at his dead body.

She never wanted to leave his side, but there were people waiting to have _their _final moments with him. People like his parents, who were still grieving over the loss of their only child. Xion couldn't imagine how they were feeling, but she did have an idea. Likely, somewhere close to the vast amounts of pain she was enduring.

"Looks like this is goodbye." She said to him, placing her hand on his hands, which were crossed over his chest. "But before I leave," she reached into the pocket of her black dress and pulled out a white, folded piece of paper. "I uh, I wrote this for you." She smiled sadly at his face, before opening the letter.

"Riku," She began, "If you can hear me, wherever you are now... Just know that I'm sorry. So, so sorry, I just can't even express it enough. Everything I put you through was unfair; The lying, using you, everything. When we first met, I really, really liked you. You were the first person to ever make me feel the way I did-- We were like an instant connection. I understand why you broke up with me, I suppose. I was keeping things from you that I shouldn't have been. Believe me, if I could change the past, by all means I would. After we broke up, we became distant. I think this was hurting both of us inside."

"But eventually, you wanted to get back together. I don't know what the hell I was thinking when I said 'no'. I'd given you up, once again. And so, we grew apart for what I thought would be forever, but it wasn't. Again we met, driving to Hollow Bastian with Roxas and Naminé. We were pissing each other off so much, weren't we?" She smiled, as tears dripped onto the page. "It's funny, now that I think about it. I guess, we all get childish sometimes... Anyways, back when Kairi had just left, I was really depressed. I felt like I had no one to talk to. So, I turned to other methods. But you already knew that. Haha, you were the only person that came to the hospital that one morning. I don't think I ever thanked you properly for that, did I? Well, I'm eternally grateful. really."

"I told you that I'd quit, but I hadn't. I didn't plan on it. Even though it was only a short while ago... I just don't know what I was thinking. You were so great to me, and I didn't even express my appreciation. I'd been doing things with Hayner I'd never even done with you-- Someone I truly care about. I was so stupid that night, your final night. And when you got shot-- I just didn't know what to think. I stared, blankly for I had no idea what to do. Your last words, 'take care of yourself'... I wasn't worthy of hearing your last speech. I was never worthy of you."

By the time Xion finished reading what was on the paper, she was crying terribly, staining her well thought out note. She looked at him, blinking to eliminate the tears hazing her vision, and saw that he still lay in the very same position. "Well, I guess thats everything." She told him, her head hanging low. She then touched his hand once more, before leaning over him and placing a tiny, but very significant kiss on his forehead, right where his bangs parted and left an opening.

"Goodbye, Riku." She said, hovering over him. She cried, accidently dripping only a few tears onto him, and then refolded her note so she could slip it into the pocket of his tuxedo.

"I love you."

And for a split second, she thought she heard his voice, quiet and full of passion;

_"I love you too."_

I had my wake up,  
Won't you wake up?  
I keep asking why  
And I can't take it,  
It wasn't fake,  
It happened, you passed by.

Now you're gone,  
There you go,  
Somewhere, I can't bring you back.  
Now you're gone,  
There you go,  
Somewhere,  
** you're not coming back.**

* * *

**Author's note: **Boo! This was very sad for me to write :( I hope you all like it. Please check out the **poll **oh my page; What would you like to see happen next?

**Thanks so much for the support, please review!**


	22. Kairi: Dusting Down the Stars

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

I look outside from far above  
I watch you sleep and dream, dream out loud  
You say you wish that you could find  
A guiding light, a guiding hand  
A safer place to stand

We've never been so close, to be so far  
There's millions of reasons, there is no way out  
Shall we give up so easy, shall we give up so easy

Here we are, dusting down the stars

Left by the roadside all alone  
I turned to speak to you right there, but you were gone  
You stood and cried and wondered why  
You can't return from where we came  
_Why are we born to fade away?_

**August 7th**

Blackness.

It was all Kairi could see, everywhere she looked. Women in black dresses, men in black tuxedos... She'd never been to a funeral before. And yet, as she exited the funeral home building, her child clutched in her arms and her friends at her side, she felt as though she'd been there a million times before.

It was now time for the sacred ceremony; burying the body. Kairi felt anxious-- She didn't know if she could watch it happen.

When her and Sora had walked up to say their last words to Riku, she'd broken down. She just couldn't bare it. So she passed Amaya over to Sora, and ran off to the washroom, where she stared at herself for what could have been twenty minutes. Kairi had been through a lot; She was strong. But she'd never dealt with the death of somebody she cared dearly for. In fact, she'd never experienced death at all. And so, this foreign experience, accompanied with all of these foreign emotions, once again turned her into the weak girl she once used to be.

She only hoped that she would be able to keep herself together for the burying. Somehow she knew, deep down that Riku would want her there to see him one final time.

Everybody now stood before what would be his grave, and held their heads in sorrow. The weather was dark and cool, with rain drizzling down, setting the depressing atmosphere that surrounded them all.

The casket was carried out by four of Riku's relatives; His father, his uncle, his cousin, and Sora. They placed the coffin before the deep hole in the ground, and returned to their places on the sidelines, all expect one.

Sora's eyes read only the utmost sincerity through their tears of sadness, as he stood before the shut coffin which had not yet been placed in the ground. He gave himself a moment, basking in the sweet silence, before parting his lips to speak.

"Riku was... Indescribable." He began, the tone of his voice heartbroken. "I cannot express enough how generous, selfless and kind he was. He wasn't only my best friend; he was my brother. And I have always thought of him this way. Each and every one of us here today has been touched by Riku, one way or another, and I can only hope that none of us will ever forget him. I know I won't ever." Sora bowed his head once before, before he quietly walked over to Kairi's position. She looked at him with solemn eyes, and nudged him with her head, letting him know that he couldn't have said it any better.

Sora's position before Riku was quickly replaced by his father, who began to speak on behalf of his beloved son. He cleared his throat. "Riku was... My son. He was the only child his mother and I had ever conceived and the only child we will ever have. And even though he is gone, he remains a part of us forever, and will live on eternally in the hearts and memories of every person here." Tears fell down the man's cheeks, as he turned to face his son's casket. "Son, we miss you."

Sora once again joined the father of his best friend, along with Riku's cousin and fellow band mate Axel, and his uncle. The four of them once again lifted the coffin Riku lay in, and complete silence fell over all as they carefully placed it in the cold, wet ground.

"Goodbye, Riku..." Kairi whispered, holding Amaya even tighter as she began to sob. She cried and cried, but she refused to leave. Her baby cooed and looked at her, innocence in her big blue eyes, and for the first time Kairi could hardly bare to look in them. When she looked at the beautiful face of her child, not only did she see a beautiful creation made by her and Sora, and her and Sora only; but she saw the future. A future, she now knew would never involve Riku. This, she knew, could never be changed. And for the first time in forever she thought; _What's the point?_

When Sora returned to her, she handed Amaya over to him, so she could think clearly and watch as the earth was shoveled over top of Riku's coffin. She despised herself for thinking so many thoughts of death, the future, or even her life ending whilst holding her baby in her arms. She honestly believed that thinking such insane, negative thoughts would send bad vibes into her beloved Amaya, and she could never let that happen.

The graveside service ended as soon as it had begun; quick and painful. The time to return into the building was upon them, but somehow, Kairi, Sora, Roxas, Naminé and even Xion found themselves standing before the gravestone.

_Riku Rowe_

_1992-2009_

_Beloved Son, Beloved Friend_

The five teenagers eyes deepened with remorse as they read the words encrypted on the dark grey stone. This was the first time the five of them had all been together since the police interrogation the previous week. Somehow, none of them could find any words to say.

"We could have stopped it." Roxas was the first to say. Sora merely shook his head.

"No. No, we couldn't have." Everybody looked to him, surprised. "I've been thinking... And it hurts me to say this, but I truly believe that no matter what, as long as Riku was standing in the exact spot he was that exact night, there was nothing we could have done."

"Y-You're right." Naminé agreed. Her face was stained with tears, and her face was red, showing obvious signs of previous meltdowns. "There really was nothing we could have done..."

"You four couldn't have done anything." Xion suddenly blurted, looking no one in the eye. She kept her head held low, her eyes shut. "It was me. Only I could have stopped this from happening."

"Xion..." Kairi said, staring at her with compassion. "Please, don't be so hard on yourself... None of could have done anything. The only one here to blame is Seifer."

"You don't understand!" She shouted, taking everyone off guard. They looked at her, expressions nonplussed. Finally, she had her head raised and looked to everybody. "It was _my_ fault. He was chasing _me _when he ended up in that spot, where Seifer spotted him." She staggered. "Do you know why he was after me? Because I was _high, _that's why. And he was concerned about me." She couldn't hold back her tears. Ashamed, she once again allowed herself to let her head hang low. "If only... I'd listened to him. If I'd just kept my promise, to keep off of the drugs... He would still be here today. I know he would."

After Xion's little rant, the other four found themselves completely speechless. They had no idea of what was going on with Riku and Xion that night. And now that they knew, well, they really were at a loss for words. It was Kairi who spoke first.

"Xion, I had no idea..." She peeped. "I-I'm sorry..."

"Please don't say that." Xion said. "Don't feel sorry for me... If anything, you should be mad at me. I was such an idiot for letting this happen..."

"We could never be mad at you." Kairi told her, taking a step in. "I know you think this is your fault, but please stop telling yourself that. Riku wouldn't want you thinking this way."

"She's right." Sora said. "I know Riku. We all know Riku. He wouldn't be mad at you... So you shouldn't be mad at yourself either."

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Xion actually _smiled. _It wasn't a large, happy go lucky beam, but more of a tiny grin, that read the gratitude she felt towards her friends. "You really think that?" She asked. Sora nodded.

"Of course."

Kairi went over to Xion and hugged her lightly, a nice, warm hug which Xion returned graciously. The redhead parted from her friend and smiled encourangingly.

"We're all in this together."

* * *

**Author's note: **Heeloo, everyone! I'm so sorry for the late update, I was having major writers block D: but I'm back on schedule now. I hope I didn't leave you waiting TOO long xD.

You should definitely check out the song from this chapter - **Dusting Down the Stars - Mobile **- it's possibly my favorite song.

**Thanks SO much for the reviews! This story would be NOTHING without my readers :D. So review please :D**


	23. Roxas: Across the Universe

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_they found their reason to be together_

* * *

Words are flying out like  
endless rain into a paper cup  
They slither while they pass  
They slip away across the universe  
Pools of sorrow waves of joy  
are drifting thorough my open mind  
Possessing and caressing me

Jai guru deva om  
Nothing's gonna change my world...

Images of broken light which  
dance before me like a million eyes  
That call me on and on across the universe  
Thoughts meander like a  
restless wind inside a letter box  
they tumble blindly as  
they make their way across the universe

**August 12th**

Throughout their relationship, Roxas and Namine had gone through more than a lot. To them, it felt like they'd been through hell in back, ever since he'd confessed his feelings towards her only about a year before. But through the trials, they'd grown stronger. They'd grown to love each other even more. And finally, they were together... But there was still something in the way.

Ever since Riku's tragic death, the two had been bickering constantly, the fights escalating more and more as each day passed. At first, it was just simple arguments, but they grew. From Namine's whiny behavior, to Roxas being insensitive, and even to Roxas' relationship with Olette, they'd gone through it all.

Namine was blatantly sick of her boyfriend. Though she loved him very much... She just didn't understand why he refused to talk to Olette. It was getting just plain annoying. But he saw it was; _Well, she must already know, right? I mean, she saw us at the funeral together and everything... If she hasn't assumed, then she must be pretty oblivious... _When Roxas had said this, Namine slapped him hard across the face.

She wanted things to go back to the way they were a month before, minus the Olette issue. She wished that he'd just broken the news to her earlier, then it wouldn't be so hard now...

She was sitting on her living room couch alone, petting her overweight persian kitty, when it came to her.

"Roxas refuses to talk to Olette..." She mused aloud. "He's such a baby sometimes." She placed her finger to her chin and looked up, deep in thought. And that's when it hit her. She immediately shot up to her feet, scaring away the cat as she did so. "Why didn't I see it before?" She implored. "I'll just tell her myself!"

* * *

Roxas was spending the day helping Sora take care of Amaya. Kairi had insisted on taking Xion out for a day of shopping, though the raven haired teen had no desire to go. But of course, Kairi could be _very _convincing. Both Sora and Roxas knew this well. After all, their trial was in two days; The girls needed some time to relax. And so, it was Sora's first day taking care of the baby without any help from Kairi whatsoever. He knew that he couldn't do this alone, so there was Roxas.

He sat on the edge of Sora's bed, an amused smirk worn across his face as he watched his friend struggle with the crying baby.

"C-C'mon, Amaya..." Sora stammered, flustered. "Please stop crying..." Roxas laughed out loud, only receiving a cold glare. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be _helping _me?"

Roxas chuckled, popping a grape into his mouth. "I _am _helping."

"Oh really?" He raised an eyebrow sarcastically, as he began to feed Amaya from her baby bottle. "I don't get it." He stated. "She only stops crying when I'm feeding her..."

"Hmm, that likely means she's hungry."

Sora looked at Roxas with a blank expression, before sighing in annoyance. "God... How is it I'm the parent, yet you know _way _more than I do?"

The blond shrugged, a jokingly cocky grin worn on his face. "It just comes naturally."

"Yeah, yeah..." He sat down on Kairi's favorite rocking chair, the one she liked to read Amaya stories on. He cradled the baby while feeding her, hoping that when the bottle was empty, she would finally be ready for a nap. "Say, Roxas..." Sora began.

"Hm?"

"How are you and Namine doing?"

Roxas had to think for a moment before replying. "We're... Good, I guess."

"You guess?"

He exhaled longingly, resting his forehead to the palms of his hands. "Ugh, I don't know. To be honest, we've been getting into a lot of fights lately."

Sora raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Really? Wow, didn't see that coming."

"Yeah, me neither... It's just, since Riku's..." he hesitated, "Er, death, she's just been really emotional. Which is completely understandable, I mean, everybody has been affected by this, but..."

"She's just out of control?"

He raised his head and met his friend's eyes. "Yes. And she constantly feels sorry for herself... I feel bad for saying this, but it's really annoying. She's also been on my case about the whole Olette thing."

"Wait, you _still _haven't broken up with her?"

He shook his head.

"Roxas, what the hell!" Sora suddenly exclaimed, taking Roxas off guard. He simply stared, shocked at his outburst. "Don't give me that 'surprised' look, Roxas. I can't believe you haven't told her about you and Namine yet."

"Well, it's kinda obvious, isn't it? I mean, Nam and I are always together. And I know Olette saw us at the funeral together. I know Olette, she can take a hint. She's completely stopped calling and texting me all together. It's clearly over."

"Yeah, but you can't just leave it like that. Like, 'I have a new girlfriend, so I'm just gonna ignore my old one until she gets the hint'."

"Why not?"

"It's totally cruel!"

Roxas cocked his head to the side. "Cruel? How so?"

Sora sighed, irritated. _Roxas, sometimes, you are _so _stupid. _"You're effing around with the poor girl's feelings, idiot. Remember, you told her you loved her?"

"I didn't _really _love her..."

"Which makes it even worse! You gave her some kind of false idea that you two were really meant to be. Think about it; How would you feel if you found out that Namine didn't really love you? That she was only with you just cause?"

Roxas looked at the wall, and tried to imagine what that would feel like. Even the small thought of Namine betraying him like that sent urges of pain through his heart, so he instantly erased the thoughts from his head. "S-She wouldn't do that."

Sora rolled his blue orbs, as he stood up to take a sleeping Amaya to her crib. "Roxas, you are so oblivious."

But before Roxas could reply, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He decided to ignore Sora's previous statement, and checked his phone. It was one text message; Olette Sommers. _Shit, what does she want? _He wondered, pressing the inbox button.

_So when were you planning on telling me, never? Because I don't know if you realize this, but that is NOT okay. I knew you were cheating on me. I at least thought you'd have the decency to break up with me._

Roxas felt his heart sink as he read the words across his screen; Like that feeling, when you get caught for doing something really bad. He gulped. _Do I reply? _He wondered, unsure.

"Who's that from?" Sora inquired, walking over to sneak a peak on Roxas' cell phone. The blond quickly hid the screen from his gaze.

"N-No one. It was just from... My mom."

"Oh, uh alright."

Roxas couldn't believe it. _How did she find out? _He inwardly groaned, dreading having an encounter with her again. _Fuck..._

* * *

**Author's note: **Heey everyone, thanks for reviewing (though I didn't get all that many last chap ., its alllll good). I gift you with a quick update. I'm sorry that its kinda short, I just really wanted to write this chapter xD. Hope you like it!

**Review please! The story cries without them :D**


	24. Namine: All to Myself

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

I'm under the gun, you're like the only one  
I just can't decide what I'm running from  
This isn't what I wanted, but  
I can't keep my filthy fucking mouth shut

It's not enough, it's never enough  
And I wish I could breathe without getting it stuck  
Can't focus it, but I try it  
over and over again

Did you say "Please just follow me"  
I thought you wanted me  
'Cause I want you all to myself  
I can try and suck it up  
I just can't suck it up  
Make me feel like someone else

**August 12th**

Namine, simply put, felt like complete crap.

_Ugh, why did I do that? _She wondered, feeling like a complete idiot. _I should have just confronted Roxas... _She knew that he was going to be mad at her for telling Olette. But it really, really needed to be done...

_I should call him. _She decided, immediately taking out her cell. At the moment, she was walking down her street towards her house. She knew that Roxas was busy helping Sora take care of Amaya, so he couldn't hang out, but she still just had to talk to him. She put in his number (speed dial number one), and waited.

"Hello?" He answered, instantly making her nervous.

"H-Hey, Roxas." She spluttered into the phone.

"Oh, Namine..." He didn't sound so happy to hear from her, which of course, added to her insecurity.

"Umm, what's up?"

"Still with Sora. You?"

"Uh, nothing really. Walking home." There was a pause, in which Namine tried to search for the right words so say. Unfortunately, she was only drawing a blank. So, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "When will you be done?"

"Not sure." Roxas replied nonchalantly. "Around six, maybe later. Why, are you bored?"

"Haha, yeah..." She chuckled. "Um, I was hoping that maybe we could go out for dinner or something?"

He thought for a moment. Namine's heart pounded in her chest as she waited for his reply. "Sure, okay." _Thank god._"I'll just tell Sora that I've gotta go a bit early, I'm sure he can manage by himself for that long."

"Okay, great."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Maybe we could go to Milestones? I'll make a reservation now, if that's okay. Six thirty?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Feel free to text me... There's kind of something I want to talk to you about."

She perked up at this statement. _Uh oh... Did Olette say something to him? _"S-Sure." She stammered jittery. "Think it can wait for dinner?"

"Yep, that's fine." There was a short abeyance, in which Namine wondered what he was thinking. She deeply hoped that he didn't know she told Olette about them... Much to her surprise, he answered; "Thanks for asking me, Namine. We haven't been getting along too well lately... I'm just glad that things are going back to normal."

This answer relieved her greatly... But at the same time, it made her feel very, very bad. She was regretting telling Olette more and more. "Y-Yeah. Normal is... Good."

"Mhm. Anyways, I better go. Sora needs me."

"Okay, talk to you tonight."

"Yeah. I love you, Namine."

She smiled sadly, and answered genuinely; "I love you too."

* * *

Milestones was one of the most expensive and exquisite restaurants in town. But Namine, of course, eager to reconnect with Roxas, didn't mind paying a high bill. She was confused about her phone call with him; It was one of the most functional conversations the two of them had in over a week, yet even still, it just didn't feel right. Because Namine really did feel terrible for betraying him how she did...

_But someone had to tell Olette... _She kept on saying to herself, but no matter how many times she repeated it, the message just didn't click. It was true, Namine was mad at him for quite a few reasons... But did that really give her the right to go telling his secrets? Then again, his secret was her secret too, so...

"This place is packed!" Roxas exclaimed, abrubtly bringing an end to Namine's chain of thought. The two of them were now entering Milestones, hands intertwined.

"Y-Yeah." She stuttered, chuckling slightly. "Good thing I made a reservation, eh?"

He met her eyes and smiled warmly. "Yeah."

There was something different about Roxas. He was seeming more... Calm, and relaxed. More like how he was before Riku's death, and before things had started to get different. The two of them were seated opposite of each other at the back of the restaurant, one of the more private sectors. Namine wanted them to have as much privacy as they could.

"So how was Sora's?" She inquired, making herself comfortable.

"Great." He replied, meeting her curious gaze. "It's hilarious watching him try to deal with the baby when Kairi isn't around."

"Oh yeah?" She giggled. "I can only imagine! Sora doesn't seem like the type to be all expert in the child department."

"Yeah, he definitely isn't!"

"Yet Kairi is such a good mother, isn't she? I guess it just comes naturally."

Roxas chuckled. "Indeed. She doesn't even have to read any of those boring baby books or anything. Unlike Sora, who was saying how he has to go and buy some so he can actually learn how to properly care for his own kid."

"Aw, that's sweet of Sora. I'm glad he's ready to take on the responsibilty of a father."

"Yeah, good for him."

The waiter came to the table, and asked for their orders. Namine requested a simple cesar salad and chicken breast, where as Roxas ordered a cheeseburger and fries. Namine couldn't help but smile at his childish order, loving how he could be the mature Roxas she'd grown to love so much, and still have a charmingly immature side.

"So, Namine..." He began, once their server had dispursed, and they were once again alone. "As I said earlier, there's something I want to talk to you about."

She gulped, nervousness taking over. "S-Sure." She stammered, idly tapping her fingertips together. Roxas, who knew Namine better than anyone, instantly noticed this change in her activity.

"What's wrong?" He inquired, looking concerned.

"W-What?" She raised her eyebrows, shocked at how fast he noticed how distressed she was. "Oh, uh it's nothing." She moved her hands under the table, so he couldn't see her fidgeting.

"Oh, well, alright." Evidently, Roxas didn't buy her simple lie, but he figured that if she didn't want to talk about it, there must have been a reason. "Anyways," He continued, "I got a text message from Olette today." Namine's face instantly grew grim with fear. _Oh no, Olette, you didn't... _

"Y-Yeah?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She said something like _'I knew you were cheating on me, I at least thought you'd have the decency to break up with me'. _It's obvious that she knows about us."

Part of Namine felt deeply relieved. _So maybe she didn't tell. _"Oh no... What did you say?"

He laughed awkwardly. "Well, to be honest... I kinda didn't reply. I mean, what do I say to that?"

"Not sure. I guess not replying is for the best." Now, usually, Namine wouldn't say this. She would say something like _'that's not right, Roxas. You should reply to her' _but this time, well... If a conversation between the two arose, then Olette could very well rat on the blonde.

"Yeah. I was a bit upset at first, like, how did she find out? But I thought about it, and I realized that it's for the best." He met her eyes and smiled sweetly. "You and I can be together... Officially. There's no other girl who even thinks she's mine."

Namine felt her heart sink in her chest. This lie was tearing her up-- And the nicer Roxas acted, the worse she felt. In all truth, she really, really didn't know what to do.

_Tell the truth and face another fight... Or lie and be happy? _

* * *

**Author's note: **Hello, again! Thank you all SO much for the reviews. I gift you with yet another fast update. The next chapter will be focused more on Kairi and Xion's trip to the mall.

**Review please! What do you think Namine should do, and why? :)**


	25. Kairi: Optimistic

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

You can try the best you can  
If you try the best you can  
The best you can is good enough

I'd really like to help you  
I'd really like to help you...  
Nervous messed up marionette  
Floating around on a prison ship

**August 12th**

Mentally, Xion rolled her eyes as her redheaded friend clutched onto her wrist, dragging her towards get another store.

"Ou, how about this one!" Kairi chimed, pointing towards Abercrombie and Fitch. Xion could only groan.

"Please, Kairi, no." She begged, litterally. "We've already been to Hollister... That was more than enough."

Kairi dropped Xion's wrist and turned to her, a playful pout on her lips. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Aw... Alright, fine. You're the boss."

She smirked in triumph. "Good. I'm glad we're on the same page."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, this day _is _for you." They began to walk, no particular destination. "So where do you wanna go?"

"Is home an option?"

"Nope."

"Hmph. Fine." She thought for a moment, but her mind drew a blank. "Umm, how about we just walk around until we find somewhere?"

"Sounds good to me!" Kairi exclaimed with a bashful grin. And so they continued on their way, avoiding the crowds of people as they did so. The mall was certainly packed, but Kairi wasn't about to let Xion leave. This day was meant to get her mind off of everything that was happening, especially since the trial was only tomorrow. Kairi knew, even though her raven haired friend wouldn't admit it, that Xion really did need a day to be happy.

"How about this one?" Kairi suggested, gesturing towards Paupu Dresses. Xion stopped, her eyes widening at the sight of the store. At that moment, all she could imagine was Riku purchasing her favorite green dress at the counter... And she could only stare. "Xion?" Kairi asked, her expression concerned. She could tell that something was wrong... "What's up?" She inquried.

"Oh--" She stammered, snapping out of her trance. "Um, it's nothing..."

"Xion..." Kairi stood in front of her, their gazes locking. "You can tell me anything. I'm here to help."

She smiled thankfully, but only slightly. She could tell that Kairi really was a person to trust, just by looking into her deep cerulean irises. "Well... It's just, this is where Riku bought me my dress."

Kairi's eyes darkened with immediate understanding, and her expression melted into genuine sorrow for her good friend. "I-I'm sorry." She stammered. "I didn't know..."

"No, it's okay. It just... Caught me off guard."

Kairi lightly placed her hand on Xion's shoulder in a comforting way, and steered her in the opposite direction. "Let's just go get some lunch."

* * *

Namine's dinner with Roxas had gone by surprisingly smoothly. She was shocked at how well the two of them were getting along, dispite the strange gut feeling she had, that basically screamed at her to tell him the truth about Olette. But, at the end of their meal... She still hadn't said anything.

"Tonight was fun." Roxas said, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. The two of them were walking home side by side, enjoying the hot summer air.

"Yeah." Namine nodded in agreement, leaning into his touch. "I'm glad we got to spend some genuine time together."

"We definitely needed it..." He chuckled, before trailing off, staring up at the fresh evening sky. "Say... Do you wanna come over?"

She looked up to him, meeting his gaze, and smiled warmly. "I'd love to."

* * *

"It's been so long since I've been here." Kairi mused, as she lay herself on the familiar couch of Xion's living room.

"Yeah..." Xion agreed, sitting on the armchair nearby. "I've missed having you around."

She perked to attention, craning her head to meet Xion's eyes. "Really?"

She nodded.

"Well, to be honest... I've missed being here as well."

Xion smiled sweetly. "You were the only girl friend I ever really felt connected to..."

Kairi's eyebrows raised. "Really?"

"Haha, yeah... Stupid, I know. I've never really had many friends."

"Well, I find that hard to believe!" She exclaimed cheerily. "You're a very likable person, you know."

"Tooottally." She sang sarcastically, laughing.

"You are!" Kairi sat up straight. "You're different. Which is good, trust me."

She smirked. "Well, thanks, I guess."

"Anytime."

The two were excited to be spending some quality time together, after what seemed like forever. At a time, Kairi had been staying with Xion, when her parents had kicked her out. And that generous act had really begun Kairi's friendship with her. Both of them were caught up in the moment of reliving the past, hanging out like they used to, having the same silly little chats... But even still, it just didn't feel the same. And even though they tried to make themselves forget... They both knew that they could never go back.

* * *

**Author's note: **Heey everyone, thanks for the reviews! This chapter was short, and a bit choppy, but I wanted to update. I hope you liked it well enough! Next chapter is... The trial :o dun dun dunnn.

**REVIEW PLEASE! And you shall recieve a quick update :)**


	26. Xion: Set the Fire to the Third Bar

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

Their words mostly noises,  
Ghosts with just voices.  
Your words in my memory,  
Are like music to me...

**August 13th**

Naminé rolled over on her back, allowing her eyelids to slowly flutter open. She expected to meet the familiar glow of the sun, seeping into her room through the drapes, only to be startled at the familiar, yet unfamiliar celling that sat above her. She shot up in the bed, for an instant wondering where the hell she was... When suddenly, it all came rushing back.

She was at Roxas'.

She looked beside her, and sure enough there lay her sleeping boyfriend, slumbering there the way he always slept; On his side, with one arm randomly draped over his peaceful face. Naminé smiled at him warmly, only to feel a certain pang of guilt slam her in the chest, taking her off guard. Her expression instantly softened into a blatant sorrow.

_Oh god Namine, what have you done?_

Memories from the previous night flashed in her mind... And although her visions were foggy, she could still remember what was important-- She and Roxas had sex.

If this were any other couple, this would probably be normal... But for these two, it was only the second time they had even come that close to sex. And to actually have it?

Naminé didn't know what to think. She went to Roxas' the previous night after dinner with intentions of telling him the truth. After the restaurant, she just felt... Guilty. But instead, well, her and Roxas had gone just a bit too far.

She couldn't tell him the truth now. She just couldn't... Not after what they had just done, and not with the trial literally hours ahead of them. She had certainly picked bad timing...

Suddenly, Roxas rolled over, startling Naminé out of her thoughts. "Mm." He grumbled. Slowly, his eyelids opened, revealing joy filled orbs that pooled with warmth when they fell upon her. He grinned, pleased that she was the first thing he saw that day. "Good morning, beautiful." Roxas greeted, his voice groggy from his previous sleep.

All Namine could do was smile. "Morning."

His eyes examined her sun-soaked skin, noting every fine line in the features of his lover. He then sat up and leaned in close to her, his gaze pouring into her deep irises as he placed a small, yet gentle kiss on her lips. For some reason, he sensed some form of hesitation in her kiss.

He parted from her and met her curious eyes, that read some look of pain on them. Concern crossed Roxas' features. "Namine, whats wrong?" He inquired. She shook her head.

"Its nothing."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Come on, I know when you're lying to me." When she avoided his stare, he couldn't help but chuckle playfully.

She sent him a glare. "What's so funny?"

"'Its nothing'." He quoted, receiving a smack on the arm.

"Don't play like that."

"Oh yeah?" A devilish smirk crossed Roxas' lips, and Namine immediately knew that now was the time to run. She shrieked as Roxas pounced after her, ready to tackle her with a fury of tickles to every sensitive spot on her body. Roxas was an expert-- He knew exactly where to touch her to drive her the most wild. As far as tickling went, his prime targets were the back of her knees and her armpits. But Namine, of course, was not about to go down without a fight. She jumped from the bed pulling his blanket with her to cover herself, and raced out of the room. She made sure to throw a pair of his own boxers at him before leaving the room, you know, just in case.

Roxas bounded after her in hot pursuit, not even caring that he was completely naked. When he raced around the corner of the hallway, he saw her, but was surprised that she was simply standing there with his blanket covering her naked body. She stared forward, her expression shocked.

"Namine?" He called, running up to her. She didn't look to him, only waited for him to notice... He pouted playfully. "Humph, you'd think you'd be more fun after a night of amazing se--"

And that was when he heard a third person clear their throat. An automatic realization dawned upon him... And sure enough, as she slowly turned his head to the side, there stood his parents. Both of them.

* * *

"Thanks for watching her again, Mrs. Buchner."

"Oh Kairi," Mrs. Buchner chuckled softly as she took auburn haired baby out of her mother's arms. "its not a problem at all. And please, call me mom."

She smiled cheerily. "I guess I could try that, mom."

"C'mon Kai!" Sora's voice drifted over. Kairi's head snapped to attention, and she looked over to see her antsy looking boyfriend waiting in the front seat of the car. Her and Mrs. Buchner exchanged a look that read 'typical', before Kairi joined Sora in the passengers seat.

"You don't have to be so antsy." Kairi commented, giggling softly.

"I can't help it." Sora informed. Kairi noticed that his right leg was quickly jumping up and down, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Come on," She placed a comforting hand on his knee, "its going to be just fine. Seifer is going to get what he deserves."

He met her eyes and smiled, putting his own hand on top of hers. "I guess you're right. Lets just get this thing over with... No need to get worked up."

The redheaded mother grinned in triumph. And with that, the couple were on their way to the courthouse.

Today was finally the day.

That no good Seifer was for sure going to be locked up for a _very_long time. And even though Sora knew this was true, he couldn't help but be so damn nervous. What if he messed up on his statement and he was accused of being Riku's murderer? What if something else goes wrong...?

He shook his head and focused on driving. Kairi was right. It was going to be just fine... All he had to do was learn how to calm down.

* * *

Xion's place in the courtroom was at the very front row, the aisle seat next to Kairi. She awkwardly sat there as she waited for something to happen... But nothing did. So far, the room was filled with nothing but idle chitchat coming from various people. The only thing that stood between Seifer and justice now, was time.

And his time was running short.

Xion knew that soon enough, the killer would be brought into the courtroom. All eyes would fall on him, and thats when the session would begin. That was when his fate would be decided. And as long as she could help it, his fate was anything but pleasant.

And as if on cue, two doors swung open, revealing two police men who were escorting another young man. That young man, of course, being Seifer. His expression was hateful as he glared at the faces of every person in court, his eyes boring disgust into them.

As his eyes scanned the crowd, his stare locked with Namine's and held, until he was seated. She simply stared at him, eyes wide with fright. The mere sight of her evil ex-boyfriend sent shivers up her spine...

"Order! Order in the court" Called out the judge. He banged his mallet three times before the entire room was dead silent.

* * *

The lawyer representing Riku's parents case was none other than Kairi's cousin, Ms. Tifa Lockhart. Kairi had called in a favor to her, and Tifa had instantly taken up the case. On the opposing side was represented by an overweight, redfaced middle aged man named Mr. Munchit. His round glasses were evidently too small, as they protruded the sides of his even rounder face.

Xion cared nothing for him at all, but she had to admit-- He was good at his job. But he couldn't win. No, Xion and all of the others had witnessed Riku's death first hand. There was no denying that.

Time seemed to fly by quickly, and before she knew it, it was time for the witness testimonies. And Xion was first.

She sat at the stand, fidgiting with her fingers nervously. She just wanted this whole thing to be over with so she could go home and get some rest. But first she knew that she had to get that scum bag locked up. She would never sleep peacefully until she did so.

"Now, Ms. Xion Tsuki, is it?" Asked Mr. Munchit, as he wadled across the front of the courtroom. Xion nodded. "Ah, yes. And you are a direct witness of the murder of Riku Rowe, eighteen." She nodded again. "Hm, indeed. Well then, would you mind explaining to the jury exactly what you saw that night?"

Xion proceeded to leak out every detail of that night to the court, much like she'd down with the two officers the previous week. Mr. Munchit looked unimpressed.

"So, you say that you and all of your friends were at Mr. Rowe's party?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Well, his parents party, technically."

"Hmm. Curious..." He began to pace. "And the murder took place deep into the property, away from the house."

"Yes."

"Well then. If what you say is true, then my client murdered Mr. Rowe on the property."

"Well, I don't know about that." Xion confessed. "I mean, I think it was on the property. It was definitely close."

"I see. So you can't confirm the exact whereabouts?"

"If I was brought there, I could probably find it. With the help of the others, too."

He nodded understandingly. "Indeed... So, what exactly where all of you doing so far away from the actual party? And it's been brought to my attention that one of the other witnesses, one Ms. Kairi Jacob, had a child with her. Explain this."

"There isn't much to say..." She stammered. The beady eyes of this man really made her feel uneasy... "Kairi just had the baby with her."

"So she was just carrying around a child?"

"I guess so, yeah... She wasn't planning on going far."

"Hm. Fair enough. So what of the reasoning? Why were a group of teenagers, plus a very young baby, all away from the party?"

"To be honest, Riku and I were fighting. The others weren't with us at first. I ran off and Riku followed me, and I guess thats when the others decided to join us. They probably just came to check what was up."

"Ah. And then randomly, you say a bullet was fired and hit Mr. Rowe?"

Xion nodded. "Yes. Exactly."

"I've heard enough." Mr. Munchit annoucned, turning towards the court. "I have reasons to believe that Ms. Tsuki's testimony is false." The crowd gasped and chattered.

"Order, order!" Shouted the judge, banging his mallet. "Mr. Munchit, that is a serious accusation."

"I'm aware, sir." He said.

The judge frowned slightly. "Then, do explain how you are sure the witness' statement is untrue."

An ill silence fell over the room as Mr. Munchit cleared his throat and prepared to feed the jury untrue facts. Xion shifted nervously. 'What if they believe him?' she thought dreadfully, her face turning pale from the horrid thought of her and her friends getting locked away, while Seifer walks away a free man...

She gulped. Only time will tell...

* * *

Author's note: ahhhh! I'm SO sorry for not updating DX I was just having a really hard time coming up with the right inspiration. But I'm alright now :) I hope you liked this chapter.

Everyone, it seems we have a very rude anon reviewer among us! Lets throw cow poo at this person(;

Btw, sorry for any mistakes D: the editor was being really annoying -_- aha you know how it is.

Review please! I promise to update as soon as I can!!


	27. Sora: The Kill

**:.:.:**

**

* * *

**

**Giving it Away**

_**they found their reason to be together**_

_

* * *

  
_

What if I wanted to break  
Laugh it all off in your face  
What would you do? (Oh, oh)  
What if I fell to the floor  
Couldn't take all this anymore  
What would you do, do, do?

Come break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you

**August 13th**

The courtroom was filled with nothing but an eerie silence, followed by the awkward clearing of Mr. Munchit's throat.

"I admit," began the overweight man, "Ms. Tsuki's testimony _is _what you all may think is the truth. However, I have reasons to believe that the events said to have happened the night Riku Rowe was murdered are misleading you."

Ill silence.

Sora's heart skipped a beat. This was exactly what he had been afraid of...

The judge stared at Munchit, his expression hard as stone. "Can you provide evidence?"

More of that dreaded silence filled the courtroom. A flick of hope ignited in Sora's heart as he reminded himself _Everything is going to be fine. There is no way this man has evidence to something that isn't even true..._

After a moment, Munchit nodded confidently. "Yes, yes I can."

Sora and Kairi exchanged glances twisted with confusion and shock. What exactly did this man have up his sleeve?

Or should I say, who...?

"The defense would like to call one Ms. Selphie Tillmitt to the stand."

Sora, Kairi, Roxas and Naminé all gaped at the awful, awful sight of Selphie herself exchanging places with Xion at the stand. She was wearing a short black dress-- Very unfit for the occassion-- And tied her hair in a 'sophisticated' bun. In the eyes of those who saw right through her, she looked nothing more than a cheap liar. They all knew that anything Selphie said was untrue. It just had to be.

"Ms. Tillmitt," Mr. Munchit began, "please tell the court why you're sitting here today."

Selphie cleared her throat quietly as she squared her shoulders and filled her eyes with false innocence, ready to just feed the court pure bullshit.

"Yes, its true..." She sighed. "I was there the night Riku Rowe was murdered."

The court gasped. Especially Sora, who was just about ready to run up there and murder his ex-girlfriend (not literally, of course). _Selphie was there? _He asked himself, fuming with anger. _Of course Selphie wasn't there... Why the fuck would she be?_

"So you are also a direct eye witness, much like the other five witnesses involved in this case." Mr. Munchit proceeded, doing that annoying pace he tended to do.

Selphie nodded. "Yes I am."

"But you haven't had any contact with the other five since the incident?"

"No, not once."

"Hm. Curious..." He drifted off into a thought for a moment before continuing. "Well then, Ms. Tillmitt, explain to the court what you saw that night."

"Well... It's true. Seifer did shoot Riku that night, and I was with him..." Chatter was sent through the crowd, but only for a moment. Sora raised an eyebrow. Where was she going with this...? "But it wasn't his fault! Honestly, it was... It was all just a mistake." Her big eyes filled with tears adding extra dramatic effect. "He wasn't in the right state of mind, you know? He'd taken something funny. I know because I was with him. It was acid, or crack or something really bad like that. And then him and I were out for a walk, I being completely sober of course, when Seifer showed me his gun. He has a hunting license, so it's okay, right?"

"Anyways, we were in this field with some trees in it when this squirrel runs by, and Seifer shoots at it. It just hit the ground, of course. Only a few minutes later, Seifer accidentally dropped the gun and it set off a bullet. All of a sudden we heard something weird, and Seifer goes to check it out. When he didn't come back for five minutes I went to check on him, and through the bushes I watched everything happen. Those five are lying. Seifer didn't kill Riku... At least not on pursose. He can't be blamed, it was all an accident."

"Objection!" Shouted the lawyer representing Riku, his family, along with Sora and the others. He stood up abruptly. "Why would they lie about that? Also, if the gun simply dropped and set off by accident, then why tell the court that Seifer was on drugs?"

Selphie seemed to get a bit nervous at this point. Sora smiled with confidence.

"Uhm, well..." She stammered, searching for the right words in her head. "Well, they must have been lying to get Seifer in trouble! And well, Seifer admitted to being on something, so I thought I would just throw it in there..."

The lawyer, who was a young (and rather handsome;) man named Mr. Wright could only stare. He turned to the judge. "Your Honor, you can't possibly believe what this girl says?"

"Hmm." The old man looked to be in deep thought. "Undecided..."

Mr. Wright's eyes returned to Selphie. He stared at her hard, hoping to intimidate her, succeeding. "Well, Ms. Tillmitt, how can you explain what happened after the gunshot? The words Seifer said to the others, along with the bruises on Mr. Hikari's face and the perfectly logical explanation as to why the fingerprints of Mr. Hikari and Ms. Anderson are on Seifer's gun?"

"I told you!" She exclaimed ecstatically. "He wasn't in the right mind! He was on drugs. It was wrong of him but it doesn't change that he couldn't control his actions."

He scoffed. "Please, this is ridiculous."

"If Seifer was on drugs..." The judge said, clearing his throat. "Then unfortunately, it does change things. If the gunshot was truly an accident, and Seifer's actions were because of his state of mind... Then he can plead temporary insanity."

"Exactly what I was going to say." Mr. Munchit said, smirking evilly.

"Ahh." The judge was stuck in thought again. "Court will now take a fifteen minute recess." He banged the mallet three times, before the courtroom slowly dispersed.

* * *

"I can't believe her!" Sora practically _screamed. _"This is retarded. No, this is _ridiculous!"_

Kairi simply sat there, arms crossed over her chest in deep thought. Slowly, she shook her head. "Selphie has sunk too far this time. Just, too far."

"Seifer wasn't high when he shot Riku." Roxas stated smartly. "I looked him right in the eye, and after knowing Hayner for so long, I think I would be able to tell."

"Agreed." Xion nodded. "He wasn't high. He's just crazy. I can't believe that little bitch is trying to do this..."

"Well I can believe it." Naminé huffed. "She's trying to protect that scum bag. She must have completely lost her mind!"

Sora scoffed. "Pfft, as if she even had a mind to lose."

The four nodded simultaneously. "Agreed."

"But guys..." Naminé started, that little tiny bit of fear lacing her voice. "If they believe her... Won't we get in trouble? Won't they think we were lying to get Seifer in trouble, like Selphie said?"

"Only somebody as stupid as Selphie would believe that story." Sora stated. "So lets just hope her friggin' mom or someone isn't on the jury."

And again, they all agreed. Sadly, it wasn't their opinion that would get Seifer locked away...

* * *

**Author's note: **Hey everyone, thanks so much for reviewing :D I tried to update quicker this time! Sorry to leave this chap off on such a dull note, but you know:P. This chap probably pissed off a lot of you guys :p but I hope you won't ditch yet!

Check out the **poll **on my page! **In Giving it Away's sequel, which of the following characters should be dropped/added?**

**And don't forget to REVIEW! :D  
**


	28. Xion: My Immortal

**:.:.:**

**

* * *

**

**Giving it Away**

_they found their reason to be together_

_

* * *

_  
I'm so tired of being here, suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave  
Your presence still lingers here, and it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real...  
There's just too much that time cannot erase...

**August 13th**

"Court is now back in session."

The low chatter that filled the room slowly faded away as Kairi, Sora, Roxas, Naminé and Xion sat themselves in their seats. The five watched Selphie with hateful eyes as she returned to the stand. Mr. Wright cleared his throat and shuffled together a small stack of papers as he stood up, ready to tear apart the holes in Selphie's testimony.

"Permission to begin the cross-examination?" He inquired the judge, who nodded.

"Granted."

Mr. Wright's eyes scanned the papers he held in his hand. "In my hand, I hold a copy of the exact words you said in your testimony, Ms. Tillmitt."

She simply nodded.

He continued, "Now, you say that you were watching the entire scene from the bushes."

"Yes. I saw everything."

"Then why didn't you step forward? Especially when Seifer was acting mad-- No, especially when the police arrived at the scene. Surely you can't be serious when you say that you simply watched this whole scene unfold?"

"W-Well... I got scared, so I left when the police arrived. I thought I would get in trouble..." Selphie nervously stammered.

Mr. Wright shook his head. "You realize that by fleeing the scene of the crime, that makes you look very guilty? The only reason we partially know that you had nothing to do with the murder is because none of the other five witnesses saw you."

"I know it was wrong of me, but what can I say? I panicked!"

"That isn't much of an excuse."

"Objection!" Mr. Munchit angrily shot up from his seat. "This is a cross examination, not--"

"Overruled." The judge interrupted. "Mr. Wright, please, continue."

Mr. Wright shot a triumphant smirk to Munchit, who could only pout like a five year old with no toy truck.

"Anyways, I suppose Ms. Tillmitt fleeing the scene isn't the worst of our concerns. What I'm more interested in is Seifer's gun. You say he has a hunting license?"

Selphie nodded. "Yes."

"Then tell me..." He picked up a plastic bag off of a desk, its contents being but a simple black handgun. "What kind of person goes hunting with a standard Desert Eagle pistol?"

"U-Uhm..." She stuttered, searching for any kind of excuse but no words came. Mr. Wright already knew the answer.

"A murderer." He stated. "A cold-blooded killer."

"Objection!" Mr. Munchit once again shouted. "Do not call my client those names with no proof."

"Mr. Munchit, this is a murder trial." Mr. Wright said. "What am I supposed to call him?"

"Objection overruled." The judge said. "Carry on."

"Indeed..." Mr. Wright continued. "Onto another point. A rather obvious one. Ms. Tillmitt, did you know that this particular pistol will _not _fire if dropped?"

Selphie's expression fell completely blank. "T-That's impossible. I saw it drop. It fired."

"You're lying. Seifer shot the gun with his own hands and he was trying to hit someone, whether his target was Riku Rowe or not."

"That's not true! Seifer would never hurt anybody!" With a sigh, Mr. Wright flipped through a few of his pages. Without a word he handed one of them to Selphie, who scanned it over only briefly. "I don't understand." She confessed.

"An incident that occurred just under a year ago. I'm sure you heard of it. Seifer had _attacked _his girlfriend at the time, Ms. Naminé Anderson. He punched her in the stomach after she confessed to him the possibility of a pregnancy. He then proceeded to try to rape her, failing when Mr. Roxas Hikari showed up at the scene." Selphie was speechless. Completely, utterly speechless. Of course she knew about that incident... And of course she would completely forget about it.

Mr. Wright lowered his gaze to his papers. "Thats what I thought. Moving on, you say that Seifer was on hard drugs at the time. Why is it he had nothing but alcohol and marijuana in his system?"

"W-What?"

"Well surely you knew that he was tested right away when he arrived at the police station."

And again... Speechless.

"I would also like to add that firing a gun at a 'squirrel' on land that isn't permitted to be hunted on is also highly illegal. And, Seifer had no papers on him to verify that he had rights to own his gun." Mr. Wright stared Selphie directly in her panic-stricken eyes, before making a simple nod towards the judge. "Your honor, I believe this case is just about closed."

"Objection!" Munchit... Again. "I-Its not over yet! My client is innocent!"

"Overruled." The judge stated. "Mr. Munchit, I'm afraid it seems your client is far from innocent."

"Far from innocent indeed." Mr. Wright agreed. "In fact, he has practically been caught red-handed."

"Well then..." The judge cleared his throat. The anticipation could only rise... "Seifer D'Angelo, for the first-degree murder of Riku Rowe... you have been sentenced Guilty."

"YES!" Sora shouted, bouncing in his seat.

"Oh thank god!" Naminé exclaimed, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. Roxas securely wrapped his arm around her as he expressed his feelings of relief as well, Kairi seemed completely ecstatic, while Xion could only smile. _Looks like your killer will get his just deserts after all, Riku..._

"B-But its not fair!" Seifer screamed as two security officers dragged him away by both arms. "I'm innocent! INNOCENT!"

"Sure you are, buddy." Mr. Wright said sarcastically as he watched Seifer being carried through the doors. He smiled. _Well Phoenix, that's another wrap._

* * *

"That bastard is finally getting what he deserves."

It felt like a huge load had been lifted off of Naminé's shoulders. Seifer was gone... He was going to go to jail. She would never see him again, ever. And what a relief it was! Everybody couldn't help but be so happy.

"Guys, I think this calls for a group hug." Sora grinned bashfully, wrapping his arm around Kairi's shoulder. The others joined them in one big, cheesy hug that sealed the deal-- It was over. Finally, after what seemed like forever this whole ordeal was over and done with.

"I feel so solace." Kairi smiled. "Its like, we'll never have to deal with it again. Seifer will never be able to hurt anyone like he hurt Naminé, like he hurt Riku and like he hurt us."

"I agree one hundred percent." Naminé said. "I'm just so glad..."

Although she felt that she should be happy like everyone else, Xion just couldn't bring herself to smile. Yes, Kairi was right; Seifer would never hurt anyone again and was going to jail. But surely a life in jail for one terrible person could never bring Riku back... She still felt empty-- Incomplete. She thought that once Seifer was dealt with it would get better, but she realized then, as the massive hug broke apart, that it would never go away. She would have to deal with this forever... She just didn't know how.

* * *

**Author's note: **I bet you're all like WHOA, QUICK UPDATE! ;D and you totally should be ;) thanks so much for the reviews, although the amount wasn't very impressive :p. AH well, I felt like writing to I updated anyways. Ahhh the trial is over... Took three chaps, but you know.

Btw, you all realize that Mr. Wright is Phoenix Wright, WRIGHT? Lolz if you didn't before you know in this chap.

**REVIEW PLEASE! And don't forget to check out the poll-- In Giving it Away's sequel, which of the following characters should be dropped/added?**


	29. Roxas: Lovers in Japan

**:.:.:**

**

* * *

**

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

They are turning my head out

To see what I'm all about

Keeping my head down

To see what it feels like now

But I have no doubt

Some day, we are gonna get out

**August 16th**

The early morning dew trickled and shined on the blades of grass creating a frosted effect, as the sun just peaked over the horizon. As Roxas ran along the streets he tried to focus on the early morning beauty, or imagine the pretty face of his girlfriend-- But no. Nothing would lift his mood.

He stopped at the corner of his street and panted heavily. He could see his house from there, and groaned at the sight of it. Instantly, he turned on his heel and began to job in the other direction thinking _Ugh, I am _not _going back yet..._

He was exhausted-- This was more than just his early morning jog, which was usually from 5am to 6am... Well, now it was 6am and he decided that he was just gonna stay out until his muscles were literally on fire. That would be considerably better than going home and dealing with his parents...

_"We come home from vacation, and just to find what? Some naked bimbo running around in our house, our completely nude son following!?"_

He outwardly groaned at the memory of his mother's beet red face as she shouted this at him. It was completely unfair-- His parents, like any parents, were pissed... The difference between any old parents and Roxas' were the fact that his were... Mormon. And yes, they were controlling too._ They're hardly _ever _around, and they think that they can just waltz back into my life like this?_

Every waking minute that Roxas was at home, his parents were going at him nonstop. _Clean your room _this and _Wash the gutters _that... It had only been a couple of days and he was already losing his head. Even thinking of his beautiful girlfriend couldn't bring him out of the pissed off state he was in at home, so he tried to spend as little time there as possible. He hoped-- _prayed, _that they would leave again soon... But for some reason, he doubted this feeling. Were they pissed off at him enough to stay off vacation and business?

Perhaps.

They were _really fucking mad._

And _he _was the only one who had to deal with it...

Roxas ran for another hour before he was just too exhausted to do it anymore. He finally returned home, thanking the lord that both his parents cars weren't in the driveway. He assumed that his mom went grocery shopping, while his father was probably out working. He took the time he had to eat, shower and get ready to go out with Naminé, who had texted him while he was on his run (she's an early riser). Unfortunately for him, just as he was about to speed down the street, none other than his mother drove into the driveway.

"And just where do you think you're going?" She inquired strictly as she exited the car. Roxas groaned.

"Out."

"Out where?"

"With friends."

"Naminé?"

He avoided eye contact, and the stern looking woman instantly knew the truth. "Why are you hanging around with that little floosey? You have a perfectly good fiancée waiting for you down the street."

"She's not a 'floosey', mom." He stated, rolling his eyes. "And Olette and I are over for good... Trust me, there's no chance we're getting back together."

His mother seemed to have this certain evil glint in her eye, one Roxas just couldn't put his finger on. She suddenly chuckled mockingly, taking her son off guard. "We'll see about that." She muttered, just loud enough for Roxas to hear perfectly. And with that, she walked right past him and straight into the house. He stood there, his expression twisted with confusion, before he shrugged it off. He was already late...

Amaya was only still very young, scarcely a month old, but even still Sora could see her growing up more and more everyday. There was something about her adorable, big blue eyes had changed since she was born-- Something more, intellectual?

She cooed lovingly as she gripped her tiny hands onto Sora's finger, observing it curiously. Her orbs were filled with such marvel that the young father couldn't help but grin warmly, he himself in awe over the fact that he and Kairi had created something so beautiful. And of course, he loved his daughter very much, but...

Was he ever _tired!_

Kairi had requested that he get up early and watch Amaya while she went on a run. She was, after all, still carrying some baby fat that she was eager to lose (you know how women get). At the time he had smiled and agreed, but he must have been delusional to agree to waking up at _7:30 _am in freaking summer, baby or no baby! He sighed heavily, longingly gazing towards his and Kairi's inviting bed. Without hesitation, he raised himself-- Amaya too-- and strolled over to the bed, laying down, careful not to drop the baby. She seemed fine with it, simply laying down onto his chest as he got comfortable.

"Don't worry," he said to Amaya, "I won't fall asleep on you..." _yawwwnnn..._ "On the other hand, I bet you wouldn't mind a little nap, would you?" She simply cooed, laying there almost motionless. "Maybe just, five minutes..." And before he knew it, he had completely drifted off.

"So how're the rents?" Inquired Naminé, as her and Roxas walked down the street hand in hand. Her boyfriend groaned loudly.

"So damn annoying." He replied. "Especially my flippin mom... You know what she said this morning?"

"What?"

He mimicked his mother's voice; "'You have a perfectly good fiancée waiting for you down the street, blah blah blah...'"

Naminé didn't find this funny, but she laughed anyways. "Why'd she say that?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Well, of course my mom thinks that Olette is the perfect girl for me." He looked down at her, locking gazes. "But I know she's not."

She smiled warmly and pecked him on the lips, although it made her feel guilty. The fact that she told Olette about her and Roxas without his permission was driving her wild, but at the same time she just couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth. She was just too worried, she didn't want to anger him. Especially now that they were getting along so well...

"Can I ask you something?" Roxas queried out of the blue, catching Naminé of guard. His tone of voice made her nervous...

"O-Of course." She stuttered. "What is it?"

"How do you think Olette found out about you and I?"

And as soon as he uttered those words, she swore, her heart stopped for a total of two seconds. _Does he know I tattled? _She panicked, her hand clasped in his growing sweaty. "U-Uhm, I dunno." She lied through her teeth, attempting to hide her anxiety.

"Ah, just wondering." He mused. "I'm just really confused. I mean, someone must have told her, or maybe she just saw us together or something. Who knows, eh?"

Naminé chuckled nervously. "Yeah..."

She felt so, _so_ guilty for her lies. She was digging so deep into it, that she knew it was too late to tell him the truth without him getting mad. It had been days since she'd told Olette and she hadn't even come close to confessing... And Roxas didn't like being lied to.

"SORA!!!!"

Startled awake, Sora shot up straight to the sound of Kairi's distressed (yet very angry) voice. "W-Wha!?" He stammered, still regaining consciousness. His eyes focused on what appeared to be a very angry looking red head, a tiny baby at her feet.

"Explain this." He demanded, gesturing towards Amaya. "NOW."

"Aw, shit..." It was evident; He had fallen asleep. But how on earth did Amaya get on the floor...?

"You fell asleep, didn't you?"

"Um, maaaybe..." He sang nervously and she could only scoff.

"Dammit Sora, if Amaya had gotten hurt I would be _really _pissed off at you." She scolded, before her anger quickly flushed away and was replaced with a playful grin. "You're damn lucky I came home in time, she was just about to fall off the edge of the bed when I walked in!"

"Ah, ah I'm sorry!" He said, voice panicky. "I didn't mean to but I drifted off... I'm really, really sorry, it'll never happen again I promis--"

"Save it." Kairi cut him off, bending down to take her daughter into her arms. Amaya happily accepted.

Sora looked ashamed. "I'm sorryyyyy..."

She looked to him, expression completely blank (which frightened him), before the apathy slowly melted into a warm, almost playful grin. "I forgive you." She stated, making her way towards him. She placed a gentle kiss on the side of his forehead, before turning on her heel while turning her full attention to Amaya. The red-haired little girl appeared to be drifting off, so Kairi carefully placed her in her crib. She turned to Sora.

"We need groceries."

He stared at her for a moment, confused. "We do?"

She nodded. "Yes. Badly, actually. Amaya only has two jars of food left."

"Oh, crap." Sora said. "Then I guess we know what we're doing today, right?"

A curt smile tugged at her lips and she nodded, eyes fixated on her boyfriend. Suddenly, a little vibration was heard followed by a _ring _and Sora immediately knew that it was his cell phone. He quickly grabbed it from under the bed. "It's from Roxas." He told Kairi, opening the message.

_Sora, I really need to talk to you about something. Soon?_

After reading the text, Sora turned to Kairi who patiently waited for Sora to tell her what Roxas had said, and then looked back to his phone. "Kairi... Do you mind if we take a quick stop at Roxas' before the store?"

* * *

**Author's note: **HEy everyone, thanks so much for the reviews! :)

Please leave another one ;D


	30. Namine: Airplanes

**:.:.:**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky

Are like shooting stars?

I could really use a wish right now…

**August 16th**

With her head buried securely in her knees, only jumbled thoughts of regret flowing through her mind… Namine cried. No, she _bawled._

The way she was feeling was something she could never describe, not even to herself. Her heart was pounding with anxiety as the tears continuously flowed down her cheeks, creating vast amounts of tears against her jeans, and when she really thought about it the only words that came to mind were _why the fuck did I do that?_

She had been in this state for what felt like hours, but really was only one. She had finally done what she knew was inevitable; She told Roxas the truth. And it goes needless to say, he was not happy. She wanted to talk to him, but she was afraid… After she had told him the truth only little over an hour before, he had simply stormed off and that was that… She tried to call him but he did not answer. And it was at about that moment where she really felt the regret.

Very slowly, Namine lifted her tear stained face from her knees and glanced over at her phone, her eyes lingering on it for only a moment before she grabbed it. She flipped it open, and sure enough she had no missed calls, no text messages. This, of course, only made her feel more solemn.

"Maybe I should call him…" She wondered aloud, but instantly shook her head. "No, I can't do that…" The truth was, she was just too damn afraid to.

* * *

"What's going on, Roxas?" Sora inquired as him and Kairi sat in Roxas' living room on the love seat, while he entered the room with glasses of water. He sighed as he handed the two of them a glass each, and sat opposite of them on the couch.

"It's Namine." He confessed. Both Kairi and Sora instantly jumped to attention.

"What happened!" Kairi asked frantically, worry lacing her voice.

"Nothing happened to her." Roxas told. "It's something she did. Something she did… To me."

"Oh no." Sora said. "Don't tell me she… cheat—"

"No no, nothing like that!" Roxas sputtered, before he let out another distressed sigh. "Namine, she… She told Olette about us without my permission… She talked to Olette and when Olette messaged me, Namine claimed to have no idea about the matter. She lied to me…" He hid his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do about it…"

"Oh, Roxas…" Kairi said sadly. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea…"

"I just can't believe she would lie to me like that." He admitted. "To be honest, it really hurts my feelings."

"Why would Namine do that?" Sora asked, slightly angry. "That kind of pisses me off. She shouldn't have talked to Olette, especially without talking to you first."

"I know it was wrong of her." Kairi said. "But in honesty, I see why she did it. Roxas, you weren't showing any progress in breaking up with Olette, and Namine felt really terrible about the whole thing."

"I understand that." Said Roxas. "But the thing is, not only did she go behind my back and talk to Olette, she lied to be about it too and kept up the act for quite some time… I just don't know what I should do about all of this."

There were a few moments of silence, before Kairi popped the question; "You love Namine, don't you Roxas?"

"Of course I do." He answered with no hesitation. "I always have."

The redhead exhaled, appearing to be deep in thought for only a moment. "Let me talk to her." She said. "I'll go to her house right now and see how she is doing. I'm almost positive that she feels terrible about all this, especially the lying."

Sora nodded as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "That's a good idea honey."

Roxas smiled, but only slightly. "Thank you, Kairi."

She nodded with a smile. "Of course." She stood up and brushed off her pants, gave Sora a quick kiss on the lips and turned on her heel. "I'll be right back. Sit tight, okay?"

* * *

Namine heard her doorbell ring, and instantly threw herself out of bed. Her heart pounded like never before as she quickly wiped the tears from her face and fixed her messy hair, only _praying _that it was Roxas who was calling on her. She literally sprinted down the stairs, but when she got to the front door she stopped herself and took three deep breaths. Slowly and calmly (at least she made it look that way) she opened the door… Only to see that it was Kairi at her doorstep.

Not Roxas.

She sighed sadly. "Oh, hi Kairi." She said, trying to not sound so bummed out to see her. She loved her friend, but…

"Hey, Nam." Kairi said, inviting herself in. "Are you busy? Can you talk?"

"No, I'm not busy." She said. "What about?"

"… It's about Roxas."

Namine's ears automatically perked up. "Roxas?" She asked. "What about him?" Worry creased her brow. "Did something happen?"

Kairi shook her head and sent her best friend a reassuring smile. "Roxas is perfectly fine. I was just over at his house… The only problem is how upset he is."

The blonde felt her heart drop. "…Oh."

"Why don't we go sit down?"

The two friends shifted up to Namine's bedroom and sat on her bed. She tried to hold back her tears as much as possible, but somehow a few still escaped.

"Roxas is upset, Namine." Kairi confessed. "Really upset."

Tears instantaneously fell from her eyes as Kairi said this. "I feel terrible." She spluttered. "Absolutely terrible."

"I know, Nam. Why did you lie to him? Surely you knew you would have to tell the truth eventually…"

"I know. I just couldn't do it. I never should have talked to Olette…" She sobbed. "I feel so much regret."

Kairi sighed sadly. "I feel sorry for you Namine, and Roxas too. I honestly think that you two need to meet up and talk about this."

"I tried to call him but he didn't answer. After that, I was just too afraid to try again…"

"Don't be too sad." Kairi tried to reassure. "Don't forget, Roxas loves you and you love him too… You can work this out. Don't go thinking that this is the end of your relationship because that is far from true."

Namine pondered this for a moment. "He said nothing of breaking up with me?"

Kairi _almost _laughed. "Are you serious? Roxas would _never _break up with you. Especially not over something as little as this. Talk to him. I'm going back to his place after here, why don't you come with me? Sora and I will leave so you two can work things out."

"Are you sure that's okay? What if he doesn't want me there?"

"Trust me Namine, he wants you there."

* * *

"I just don't know if I can trust her anymore." Roxas said to Sora, as the two of them sat in the exact same positions they had been in before Kairi left.

"Maybe you can't." Sora admitted. "I trust Kairi completely. She would never lie to me. And the fact that Namine lied to _you… _It really makes me think."

Roxas let out a long, depressed sigh. "I hope Kairi comes back soon…" And as if on cue, they heard the front door open.

"I'm back!" Kairi sang, dancing into the room. "And I brought company."

Roxas' face fell. _She doesn't mean… _

"I decided to bring Namine over to speak with you, Roxas."

Shyly, the little blonde rounded the corner and into the living room where they sat. Her cerulean orbs fell upon Roxas', and a fury of emotion was sent through the both of them. Namine felt deep sorrow and regret, whereas Roxas felt resentment and anger.

Sora exchanged a glance with Roxas that read 'uh oh…' but Roxas paid him no attention. He simply stared at Namine grievingly.

"Come on Sora." Kairi urged. "Lets go to the supermarket and leave these two alone."

"But Kairi—"

"No buts!" She grabbed him by the wrist and began dragging him towards the door. "Good luck Nam!" She whispered in her friends ear with a wink as her and Sora departed, once again leaving Namine and Roxas alone with each other.

Namine looked at him, and already she knew… This was not a good idea.

* * *

Authors note: How long had it been? TOO LONG. I'm so friggen sorry, seriously! I was having the worst case of writers block EVER. But I'm back! Thanks so much for sticking by me !:)

REVIEW PLEASE! And I promise the next update will come within a weeks time.


	31. Roxas: The Wretched

****

**:.:.:**

I HATE THE EDITING PROGRAM ON THIS STUPID THING! I HATE IT!

I'm sorry, but you will have to read this while it is all columed in the middle... =_=

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

Just a reflection

Just a glimpse  
Just a little reminder  
Of all the what abouts  
And all the might have  
Could have beens  
Another day  
Some other way  
But not another reason to continue  
And now you're one of us  
The wretched

The hopes and prays  
The better days  
The far aways  
Forget it

It didn't turn out the way you wanted it to

It didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, did it?

Now you know, this is what it feels like.

********

August 16th

An awkward silence had filled the room to the rim the moment Kairi and Sora's presense's had left.

Namine sat, her back straight, her knees held tightly together, her expression taunted by Roxas' cold stare. The emotions he was feeling her evident in his irises; Anger, disappointment, _betrayal... _And knowing all of this only made Namine regret all the more.

"Namine." Roxas' voice breathed, finally cutting a slice in the thick silence.

"R-Roxas..." She stuttered. "I-I'm-"

"Don't say it." He cut her off. "I know exactly what you are going to say. You're going to say you're 'sorry' and that you 'regret it'. You're going to proceed to tell me that 'you know that you should have told me the truth' and that 'you never should have talked to her without talking to me first'. It's too late, Namine, it really is. You talked to Olette, you told her about us without even mentioning it to me and then you lied to me about it... There is no point in regret. There's nothing you can do about it."

"Roxas..." She slurred, her eyes filling with tears. "What are you saying?"

He averted her eyes for a moment, hurt in his expression. "You... You broke my trust, Namine. How am I supposed to continue on in our relationship? When you're capable of telling one lie... You're capable of telling a million."

"But Roxas, I would never lie to you again!" She stressed, exasperation and fluster in her voice. "Please, believe me..."

"And why exactly should I believe you?" He sneered bitterly. "I thought I knew you, Namine. I thought you were the one person in the world I could trust with _anything... _And I know that it was wrong of me to hide our relationship from Olette but... It's not even just that you told her. It's that you lied to me about it. You had sex with me after lying to me..." He hid his face in his hands. "I just don't know what to think of you right now. I really don't."

"Roxas, I-"

"I know, Nam. I know you're sorry. But the truth is, at this point?" He met her hurt filled orbs. "I just don't think I can forgive you."

Namine let out a small gasp as tears poured down her cheeks. "W-What... Are you saying?"

He stood up, trying to force his expression to be stern but the pain he was feeling was clear in his eyes. "I think that we need to take a break."

Namine didn't know what to say. Her eyes fell from his face to the floor, moving all over the room, trying to contemplate and truly take in what he was saying. _This can't be happening. _She thought. _Please, let this be a dream..._

But it wasn't a dream. Roxas walked closer to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Namine, you know that I love you more than anything." He sighed. "And as over dramatic as it sounds... I just can't bare to be with you right now. I'm hurt, really. And I am disappointed in you."

"I-I..." She began to sob. "I don't know what to say."

He let out a long, sad sigh. "Just go home, Namine. Please."

"Y-You really want me to leave?"

He nodded, avoiding her eyes. "Yes."

She took a moment to cry, before standing to her feet. "So be it then." She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. She was feeling too much pain, she couldn't even comprehend it...

So she ran.

* * *

**Author's note: **Hey everyone, as promised I have updated within a months time :). I think I may have accidently said 'weeks time' in the last AN so I apologize if I did that. I meant to say months xD. So yeah, thanks for the reviews. I'm afraid this story will soon be coming to a close, but never fear... A sequel is on the way :).

CHECK OUT MY POLL!: **What do you think of the idea of WSFA/GiA being turned into an independant series, like a TV show? With original characters, some changes to the plot, but still holding all of that drama I know you all love!**

**Vote please, and definitely leave a REVIEW :D**


	32. Naminé: Captains and Cruiseships

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**:.:.: Apparently this shitty editing program won't let me put an AN at the end of the chapter. Piece of shit...**

**So, this chapter isn't exactly complete but it has been way too long since I've updated so I decided to throw it up. The story is almost over! Thank you all so much for your patience. :)**

**Enjoy! Review please, and check out my poll :)!**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

* * *

Stormy night, reawake  
The stomach ache that I've acquired  
From feeling down, things look grim  
And I'm so sick of being tired

Apartment lights go dark  
And it's depressing but what can I do?  
The midnight streets feel dead  
When I am so used to driving with you

**August 25th**

It had been over a week since Roxas had broken Namine's heart, and still she heard no word from him. She waited, waited, waited... But he never rang. Not even a single phone call or text message, and even when she would go online he wouldn't be there. Namine knew Roxas. If he wasn't with her, with Sora, studying or eating he was on the internet.

The small blonde lay still on her bed. Her eyes bore a glossy, dead look to them as she glued them to the celing above her. And all she could think about was Roxas.

She was so depressed. So utterly depressed. She couldn't eat, she couldn't move- Hell, she could barely open her eyes. For every time she would open them, she woud imagine his face being there. She just couldn't handle the disappointment that it never was. Worry took over Namine's expression as her thoughts of the future grew darker. She thought _Could this really be the end... Forever? _And just thinking the words made her spine crawl, causing her to shutter and twitch like a freshly squashed ant.

Slowly, her head fell to the side and her dull orbs landed upon the phone. She found herself doing this often. She would stare at the phone, and only for a moment- not even a split second, she would consider calling him. But in all honesty, she was afraid- No, she was terrified. And she was so, so worried that she was going to lose Roxas forever.

"Has this summer really gone by so fast?" Xion asked herself, staring her pale face in the mirror. Her complexion was porcelean, in high contrast to the heavy dark circles under her dopey looking eyes. "Ugh, I'm such a wreck." She scoffed, throwing a towel at her reflection as she walked out of the room. She made her way into her bedroom, which was coated in laudry and empty bags of Goldfish crackers. The lights were off, the oversized crimson candle that had previously been lit being the only source of light. And for such a small flame, it certainly lit the room well enough. Xion stared at the flame when she entered the room, her eyes dancing on it, the bright flame reflecting in the very dark blue of her iris. With her expression solemn, she turned away from the sight and wandered to her bed.

On her mattress, there were photos. They were scattered unevenly over the covers, and when Xion saw them she smiled. To her, these are not merely photographs. These are her happiest memories.

Her memories of Riku.

She smiled sadly at a picture of Riku and her when they had first started dating, way back when... In it, Xion is looking grumpy, while Riku pulls off a goofy grin. A single tear flows down her cheek, a neverending stream for the rest of the night. And it was then, that she began to weep.

This had been Xion's routine ever since the tragic incident that had happened such a short time ago. The sadness was overwhelming and she had nothing to help her deal with it. She refused to turn to methods such as drugs or alcohol for, well, obvious reasons. She could just imagine Riku's watchful eye looking down on her with disappoint from heaven as she tried to smoke weed or take a shot. No, she had not even given the idea a second thought.

Xion was done with all of that. She was clean now, and she would stay that way. That's the way it should have been, she thought, when Riku was alive. She knew that if it weren't for drugs, and Xion's desire to do them, Riku would still be living. And for this, she would forever hold herself guilty.

It was about three o'clock pm when Roxas found himself strolling down main street. Unlike Naminé, he had been taking this 'break' a lot more smooth. He missed her, yes, but he was still unhappy with the decisions she had made. He had decided that he would wait for a while before they would speak again, and until then he would be focused on himself, and only himself. He realized that he had spent so much time worrying about Naminé, that he had almost forgotten about _his _needs, and at that moment he was in dire need of a new comic book to fill up his time.

The more stuff he had to read, the less time he had alone with his thoughts.

With his head in the clouds, he paced towards his destination; Heroes, the local comic book and action figure store. He smiled to himself as he entered the door, the familiar _ring _of the bell chiming in his ears and all of the glorious comic books and graphic novels coming into sight. He marveled at the action figure display as he continued through the store.

Roxas was always a huge super hero fan, but he hadn't much time for them lately mainly due to the fact that Naminé was always on his mind. So, he treated himself. But naturally, he could not deny the fact that every time he spotted a character with blonde hair, he thought of her...


	33. Kairi: I'll Follow You Into the Dark

**REWRITE!**

* * *

**Giving it Away**

_They found their reason to be together_

_

* * *

_

Love of mine, someday you will die  
But I'll be close behind  
I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white  
Just our hands clasped so tight  
Waiting for the hint of a spark

If heaven and hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark

**August 30****th**

"Oh Kairi, c'mon…" Sora tried to persuade his redheaded girlfriend. "Amaya will be fine with the nanny. It's only for a couple hours a day, really."

"I just don't like the idea." Kairi pouted, seating herself down at the edge of the bed. She held Amaya close to her.

"I know you don't, but to be blunt we don't really have much of a choice." He sighed longingly, before taking a seat beside her. He put his arm around her and gazed at his daughter, who cooed. "We need jobs to raise Amaya properly… We need to be able to afford her food, clothes, toys… I want her to be a happy child, and I want us to prove ourselves to be good parents… And to do that, we need educations."

"You're right…" Kairi admitted. "And I know this. It's just, I hate the idea of somebody else raising my child… What if Amaya starts to think the nanny is her mother?"

Sora chuckled wholeheartedly. "Oh Kai, don't be silly. Amaya will always know you're her mother." He nudged her cheek with his thumb and Kairi grinned cutely. "No one else is right for the job. And just check out that fiery hair!"

She giggled. "You do have a point there."

"I know I do! Don't worry about a thing. The nanny will simply watch over Amaya for a couple hours while we attend school, then as soon as we get home she is back in our care. It will be as if we never left at all!" He grinned broadly in a very Sora way. "Besides, it's not like the nanny is going to be doing all of the fun stuff that we get to do with Amaya, like take her shopping or to the zoo… Show her the world, you know?"

Kairi's smile grew bright as she met Sora's playful orbs. "You're so right." She stated. "I do feel better now."

"Good!" He chimed. "Now, let's get this baby in her crib— looks like someone could really use a nap." Kairi turned her attention to Amaya, and noticed that Sora was right. Her big cerulean orbs were fluttering shut, and to this the young mother smiled the warmest of smiles. Sora was right, they were a family… And nothing could tear them apart.

* * *

It was difficult to arrange, but Xion had finally decided what she was going to do on her last day of summer.

Her heart pumped with a strange, sickly and painful adrenaline as she drew near the familiar building; the place where Riku's funeral had taken place, and where his body now eternally lay. She gulped, wondering if maybe, just maybe she should turn back, but no. She clenched her jaw tight.

_You will be strong. _She told herself, swallowing her fear. And with that, she entered the graveyard, knowing exactly where to go.

Her eyes followed each grave stone, all reading different and unfamiliar names with varying dates. At long last, her gaze fell upon the stone she sad sought out:

_R.I.P_

_Riku Rowe_

_1992-2009_

_A beloved son, a beloved friend._

The sight of this instantly brought tears to the surface of Xion's already glassy orbs. The grave was small and of a classic shape, and was surrounding by various flowers, some withering, some still well alive. Xion placed a single red rose at the base of the tomb.

"You here visiting Riku, too?" She suddenly heard someone say, alarming her. She instantly turned on her heel, only to be greeted by the somewhat familiar face of Axel Reeves. Axel was an above averagely tall boy who was Riku's age, and up until then Xion had simply known him as the outrageous redhead in Riku's band. She didn't know what to say, and Axel instantly read this.

"I'm sorry, Xion." He said with a genuine care in his eyes. "I think that this was the hardest on you, out of every one." Still, Xion did not know what to say, so Axel continued. "It's okay, I know that this isn't the right place to be meeting new friends." She watched as he placed a single black rose on top of to Xion's own red in a crisscross manor. He stared down at this sight with sorrow in his emerald eyes. "Black and red… Both colors of life… Both colors of death."

She looked to him curiously, but he did not remove his scrutiny. Axel closed his eyes. "What a cruel system."

"I… I agree." Xion stated quietly, speaking for the first time.

"Indeed…" Axel said, before turning his back to her. "I'm sorry again… For what you have been through. I think that we all lost a part of ourselves when Riku passed. Now, the only thing to be done, is remember. Goodbye, Xion, maybe I'll see you at school." And with that, Axel walked away. Xion watched his retreating figure, but only for a moment before staring down at Riku yet again.

"I'm sorry too, Riku." She whispered. "It should have been me."

* * *

"Who_ the fuck _do you think you _are!"_

"Who am _I? _Who are _you? _Because you definitely don't seem like the Namine I fell in love with!"

With her face beet red and her hair unkempt and full of flustered static, Namine gaped at this statement. "What are you talking about?" She inquired, appalled. "I'm _exactly _the same person I was before. No, I'm _better_ than I was before!"

Roxas snorted snobbishly. "I beg to differ." He said, raising his nose and staring down at her through those glassy orbs of his. "The Namine I thought I knew would never lie to me."

To this, Namine sighed. "Roxas, we've been through this. I said I was sorry. People make mistakes…"

"Yeah well you really pissed me off just then." He stated, averting her eyes. "It looks like this break really isn't over."

"Ugh!" She yelled, exasperated. "You are so overdramatic!"

"Haha, _I'm _overdramatic?" He mocked. "Look in the fucking mirror Namine. You're the one who shows up at my front door after like what, a week apart bawling her fucking eyes out…"

Namine's eyes widened in shock at this harsh comment. She thoughts grew jumbled as she tried to process Roxas' words, but the only emotion that was getting across to her was anger. He was down right pissing her off before, but now…? He had crossed the line. And honestly, Namine felt like she was going to blow her top.

What she wanted to do was scream at the top of her lungs, violently stomp the ground and punch a whole through the wall. But no. As she stood there, huffing and puffing to contain her anger she took the mature way out…

Using the front door.

* * *

It appeared as though the longest summer of their lives was coming to a close.

Maybe all wasn't well within the group… This summer had been a bumpy one, that was for certain, and even though it was over life was still far from perfect. Nothing was the same; nothing ever would be. Kairi, Sora, Roxas, Namine and Xion were all well aware of this.

Yes, the summer was coming to an end, but they knew that this was only the beginning. All of the jagged twists and turns that high school offered had not yet come to a complete stop. They had been through the worst, but even still there were threats that would threaten the happiness of all within the group... Indeed, the road to peace was a long one, but one thing was for sure… They would make it through, and they would make it through together.

* * *

You and me have seen everything to see  
From Bangkok to Calgary  
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down  
The time for sleep is now  
It's nothing to cry about  
Cause we'll hold each other soon  
The blackest of rooms

If heaven and hell decide  
That they both are satisfied  
Illuminate the no's on their vacancy signs

If there's no one beside you  
When your soul embarks  
Then I'll follow you into the dark

* * *

**Author's note: **Merry Christmas everyone! This is my present to you; the final chapter of Giving it Away. Yes, thats right. This book has come to an end, but the story is not yet over.

I want to apologize for how I acted in the A/N I had submitted before... I was being a total brat. Don't worry, I will still write a sequel!

Look forward to the sequel; **Sitting Under Falling Stars **COMING SOON! :) And please check out the link I have posted on my page for the original fiction version I've started for this story, or just look me up on fictionpress; homelyhomely :)

**PLEASE review. Don't be a douche, I worked hard on this damn thing! XD jkjk, but really, please review. I would love to hear your opinions on the story; they motivate me to continue writing. So if you want a sequel... ;)**

Happy Holidays!

**Love Homely xx **


	34. I'm Giving it Away

**Please read the lyrics.**

**

* * *

**

**Giving it Away**

Written and preformed by _Mae_

_

* * *

_

And by the way you brought me here  
it makes me believe  
the best is still yet to come  
and I don't want to leave  
Forgive my hesitation, oh, but I'm learning to trust in you.  
Help me to dream these dreams  
cause I don't have a clue.

And if you'd be honest  
and say what you mean,  
you know I would promise, I'd do anything  
cause I know that without you, I'm giving it away.

Is this what you wanted?  
Cause I'm willing to change.  
Now that I am certain,  
that there's much more to gain.  
You've introduced me to the moment,  
oh, but I'm looking to stay, for good. Yeah.

You've asked me to stay forever.  
Well, you know that I would,  
I would do anything.

If you'd be honest, and say what you mean,  
you know I would promise, I'd do anything,  
cause I know that without you  
I'm giving it away.

The nights are forever,  
and maybe I'm wrong,  
but it feels like I'm so lost without you.  
So I step towards the heat,  
it's the way I can see,  
and it makes me believe that it's you.

And by the way you brought me here  
it makes me believe  
the best is still yet to come  
and I don't want to leave,  
I won't but anyway...

If you'd be honest,  
and say what you mean,  
you know I would promise I'd do anything  
and the nights are forever,  
I can't get to sleep,  
cause I know there's a reason.  
I'm in this too deep  
and I'm sure that without you,  
oh, **I'm giving it away.**


	35. UPDATE 2012

**Update 2012**

To anyone who may have read this story and is still interested, I'm writing this as a small promotion and to let you all know that the third instalment **Sitting Under Falling Stars **is once again active! So it would be greatly appreciated if you checked it out, if you'd like! My writing has gotten better over the years, considering I finished this story about 4 years ago :P

And yeah, I'm promoting my old story, sue meh 8)

Thank you all for the wonderful support.

~Homely.


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